Waffle

A waffle is a flat batter cake cooked between two hot plates that are called a waffle iron. It has a distinctive gridlike appearance, the result of raised partitions on the waffle iron.

In the United States, waffles are largely a breakfast food, popular enough that a franchised restaurant chain called Waffle House has more than 1,000 restaurants in 24 states. In 2001, it claimed to have sold more than 442 million waffles in the previous 46 years.

A popular variant is the so-called Belgian Waffle, which is lighter and taller than standard waffles and is often served with ice cream, as a dessert. The Belgian Waffle was introduced into North America during the 1964 New York World's Fair.

• See also: pancake