I’ve been put on probation for failing to mention (not realizing, actually) that yesterday was National Waffle Day in America. However, International Waffle Day, which originated in Sweden, is celebrated on March 25 – exactly nine months before Christmas. The Swedes mark the beginning of spring, which is usually a time for women to stop doing wintry things like wood chopping and knitting and focus on delightful spring things, like making waffles. Don’t ask me why they equate spring with waffles. I’m shamelessly cribbing all this from the Mr. Breakfast website. The Americans celebrate National Waffle Day on August 24 – coincidentally the birthday of Roger De Vlaeminck and me – because it’s the day Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York, received his patent for a “device to bake waffles” in 1869.
(Many thanks to my old Guangzhou riding buddy Malcolm for pointing this out.)
One of the many reasons why I love Seoul is that waffles are considered a cool food here. I’ve been on a 10-day business trip to South Korea and was able to escape the office on Saturday to stroll around the trendy Samcheongdong area, where almost every cafe and eatery sells fancy waffle treats. I’ll let the photos do the talking:
Huh? “Soft Cake?” What’s wrong with “Waffle?” I thought about changing my Web site’s name to “Soft Cakes & Steel.” There’s some interesting alliteration going on, with the repetition of the “s” sounds. And “soft cake” is a good way to describe my quads … or my brain! But waffle is such a wonderful word. It comes from the Dutch “wafel.”
This sign is like many others I see on rides through Guangzhou. They constantly keep me wondering about the Chinalogic behind the ad slogans and images. It has become one of my new hobbies.
If a Chinese consumer is savvy enough to understand English, why wouldn’t the ad just use the word “Waffle” instead of “Soft Cake?” Perhaps “waffle” is still unfamiliar to most English readers in China, but most understand “soft” and “cake.” Imagine how confusing this must be for an English-language student. They see the picture of the waffle identified as a “soft cake.” Then they travel overseas and try to order a “soft cake” for breakfast. I guess it would be like an American traveling to China and trying to order “chop sooy.”
The Chinese term used in the ad for waffle is “ge zi dan gao,” which literally means “square” or “grid” cake. That certainly doesn’t sound appetizing.
Waffles haven’t caught on in Guangzhou yet, though they’re wildly popular in Seoul, one of the capitals of cool, where “waffles & wine” cafes are all over the place.
My wife recently sold our old waffle maker at a rummage sale at our apartment complex. A Chinese couple bought it and my wife said, “They had no idea what it’s used for, but they still wanted to buy it!” I can imagine them pressing cabbage or searing fish with it. Wouldn’t it be ironic if they used it to reheat some turtle meat leftovers!
I wish I could have given the Chinese couple my best tip for making fluffy waffles: separating the egg yolks and beating the egg whites for a few minutes before gently folding them into the batter. Makes a world of difference.
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