1 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to food Stuff. I'm born Vocabon and 2 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: I'm Anne Reyes. And today we're going to talk about 3 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: frozen waffles and eggo waffles in particular. Yes, because it's 4 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: about time for a lot of us to retreat into 5 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: our caves over the next few days and Netflix caves. Yes, 6 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: and bench watch the second season of Stranger Things. If 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,879 Speaker 1: you've seen Stranger Things, I'm going to guess a lot 8 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: of you have. If you haven't and you're interested, check 9 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: it out. Um. But we all know, we all know, 10 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: those frozen waffles that Eleven loves in the bright yellow 11 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: box are eggs and that's what we're gonna talk about today. Um. So, first, 12 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: as we frequently do, by frequently, I mean all the time, 13 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: what is it? I think it can be explained in 14 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: this simple quote. A waffle is like a pancake with 15 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: a styrup trap from Mitch Hedberg. Yeah, a waffle has 16 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 1: kind of like a like a grid pattern. It's like 17 00:01:07,959 --> 00:01:11,479 Speaker 1: a three D pancakes sort of kind of. Uh. It's 18 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:14,039 Speaker 1: it's within the realm of a pastry. It's usually a 19 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: lightly sweetened kind of bread product. Mm hmm. It's um. 20 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: The dough was usually got some kind of milk, eggs, butter, 21 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 1: maybe a levening agent, a rising agent. Um. They run 22 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 1: into the into the light and fluffy on the inside 23 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: and crispy on the outside kind of concept. They're very tasty. Um. 24 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: Eggo waffles are generally frozen waffles. They come in yellow boxes, 25 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: eight to a pack, neutragrain eggos. Where might go to 26 00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: breakfast for a number of years when I was a kid. Yeah, 27 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: I loved the blueberry ones. I love waffles in general, 28 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: but that I feel you have to get the texture 29 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: right are they're They're worthless. They have to be krispy. 30 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 1: If you get like a saggy waffle, it's so disappointing. 31 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: Oh soggy waffle. Yeah, that's a that's a great name 32 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 1: for something. Um. Frozen waffles, pancakes, and French toast is 33 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,919 Speaker 1: a one point to billion dollar industry and ago accounts 34 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: for sixty of that over. Yeah, yeah, and um, if 35 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: we look at, Kellogg's sold four point five more waffles 36 00:02:22,400 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: and preceding five years than any year coming before that. 37 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: They also sell aforementioned frozen pancakes and French toast, along 38 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:35,480 Speaker 1: with frozen breakfast sandwiches and the Bloomberg article I got 39 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 1: this number from, by the way, was titled who killed 40 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: Tony the Tiger? Yeah? Okay, basically that EGA was capitalizing 41 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:49,240 Speaker 1: off of fears about the health of cereal, even though 42 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: they're both carb products with sugar added. Okay, yeah, yeah. 43 00:02:57,320 --> 00:03:03,239 Speaker 1: So let's do a brief rundown of waffles, shall we Yes, So, 44 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: the ancestors of waffles are oblios, which are these ancient 45 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 1: Grecian cakes that were roasted between two metal plates, and 46 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: then the two metal plates had it had a wooden 47 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: handle attached so that you could just slide it into 48 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: and out of an oven. By medieval times, these had 49 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: developed into oblius, which were these these large, unleavened wafers 50 00:03:23,240 --> 00:03:25,680 Speaker 1: that were made primarily by u either members of the 51 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: Catholic Church or people trying to sell stuff to the 52 00:03:28,080 --> 00:03:32,600 Speaker 1: Catholic Church um and a lot of them depicted religious iconography. 53 00:03:32,600 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: By the fourteen hundreds, these had developed into recipes more 54 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: like we're familiar with waffles being today, and the Dutch 55 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,320 Speaker 1: had started using rectangular plates that were forged with a 56 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: grid pattern on them, though historians aren't sure whether this 57 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: was a decorative choice or like a practical matter For 58 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: the blacksmiths or a practical request on behalf of the 59 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: bakers to design something with a greater surface area so 60 00:03:56,760 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: that you can you can get you know, the waff 61 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:05,160 Speaker 1: more crispy or faster. Yeah um. And to make these 62 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: old school waffles slash wafers was kind of darrible, just 63 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: just s thoughtful. So you had those two baking plates 64 00:04:12,760 --> 00:04:15,080 Speaker 1: with the long handles, and they needed to stay hot 65 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 1: and oiled. It was a two person job to hold 66 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: these heavy handles and to get the baking plates over 67 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: a fire at the batter close up between the plates, 68 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: put it over a fire minute per side, and then 69 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:29,040 Speaker 1: quickly remove the waffle so it didn't overcook. Yeah yeah, 70 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,240 Speaker 1: real paint um. Americans were the ones to pair waffles 71 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:35,600 Speaker 1: with maple syrup of a staple up in the New 72 00:04:35,600 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: England area, and we're really the first to adopt them 73 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: as a breakfast food. Everywhere else it's kind of a 74 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: snack or like something that you eat with with tea 75 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 1: or something like that. Yeah. Okay, So let's talk about 76 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 1: Thomas Jefferson again. Wait what why? I know? Right? So, 77 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: the first thing you need to know about Thomas Jefferson 78 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:57,719 Speaker 1: in the context of waffles anyway, is that he love 79 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:04,200 Speaker 1: loved them. He loved them. He loved them so much 80 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: he transported a waffle iron from France the US in 81 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: seventy nine and would cook them at waffle parties. Waffle parties, yes, 82 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 1: waffle parties. Man, Leslie Nope would die of happiness, are 83 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:22,279 Speaker 1: over eating? Possibly maybe both? Yeah, simultaneously. I'd be pretty 84 00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: excited to someone. By the way, I figured out that 85 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: Leslie Note probably eats around three d three waffles a year. 86 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, that's a lot of waffles. Yes, Leslie 87 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 1: Note from Parks and Wreck for you, you guys who 88 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:36,720 Speaker 1: don't know. Also related, in Sweden, there's a waffle Day 89 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,840 Speaker 1: which shares the date with Our Lady's Day. So Leslie 90 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 1: Nope was onto something with Gallantine's Day being celebrated with waffles, 91 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: or at least in Sweden anyway, those those waffle parties 92 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:55,599 Speaker 1: of Thomas Jefferson's where we're called waffle frolics. Waffle frolics. 93 00:05:56,839 --> 00:05:59,440 Speaker 1: I am going to add that to my calendar. I'm 94 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: gonna throw a waffle frolic, Yes, for sure, um and 95 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:05,479 Speaker 1: f y. I. The word waffle first appeared in the 96 00:06:05,520 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: English language in sev from the Dutch word waffle hey, 97 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: which probably comes from a similar Germanic word meaning honeycomb 98 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 1: or web or we've also f y I. The word 99 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:24,279 Speaker 1: gopher probably comes from the same route golfil waffle um, 100 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,919 Speaker 1: and it was a reference to the the woven and 101 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: or honeycomb like structure of their burrows. Birds are so cool, 102 00:06:33,360 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: very interesting um after. A waffle iron maid to be 103 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 1: used over a coal stove, was patented in the US 104 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:45,480 Speaker 1: in eighteen sixty nine by Dutch American Cornelius Swartwout. Swartwout, 105 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 1: Cornelius Swartwout, where have you been all my life? Please 106 00:06:48,720 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: gets the Harry Potter name if I've ever heard one. 107 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,159 Speaker 1: Americans followed the lead of Jefferson and through their own 108 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: waffle parties or frolics, and a few years later and 109 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:03,720 Speaker 1: six Fanny Farmers the Fanny Farmer Cookbook came out with 110 00:07:03,800 --> 00:07:07,040 Speaker 1: a recipe on how to make raised yeast waffles. And 111 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 1: this is a big moment on the waffle timeline. Before that, 112 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: waffles were essentially just pancakes but with holes. Oh yeah. 113 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: The first electric waffle iron was introduced in nineteen eleven 114 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: and released commercially by g to the public in nineteen eighteen. 115 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 1: Apart from efficiency improvements and some bells and whistles, we 116 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:32,080 Speaker 1: generally use the same thing to this day. However, cooking 117 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: waffles took precious time, and we Americans didn't want to 118 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 1: wait that long. Dishove some delicious golden waffle in her face, 119 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: of course, not so time is money, It is time 120 00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:50,920 Speaker 1: is waffles. Time is waffles. Enter the frozen waffle. But 121 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:53,960 Speaker 1: first a quick break for a word from our sponsor, 122 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: and we're back, Thank you sponsor. Okay, so, now it's 123 00:08:08,040 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: time to talk about what's on everyone's mind. Mayonnaise. Mayonnaise. Wait, 124 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: where do you think this was going? This is this 125 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: is like a sleeper episode. It's actually about mayonnaise. Okay. Yes, 126 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: So in and San Jose, California, brothers Frank Anthony and 127 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: Sam Dorset decided to do some food experiments in their 128 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 1: parents basement, of course, until they came up with their 129 00:08:32,360 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: own brand of mayonnaise, which they advertised throughout the Great 130 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 1: Depression as using triple refined vegetable oil and on fresh 131 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: range eggs, ranch eggs, Ranch eggs. I can't forget that, 132 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: which led them to call their product Eggo mayonnaise ads 133 00:08:49,559 --> 00:08:51,959 Speaker 1: at the time touted the product as having the highest 134 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:58,440 Speaker 1: egg content of the leading brands, who fighting words mayonnaise kingdom, 135 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: oh my goodness around their San Jose digs. The product 136 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,520 Speaker 1: was quite popular, popular enough that, according to Frank Dors's obituary, 137 00:09:06,920 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: the brothers used a fifty dollar infusion from their mayonnaise 138 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 1: business to break into the waffle one. Also, I couldn't 139 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:18,040 Speaker 1: leave out that the headline of Frank Dors's obituary was 140 00:09:18,679 --> 00:09:22,280 Speaker 1: he triumphed with waffles, but died without vanquishing the pancake. 141 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,440 Speaker 1: Kind of a low blow for an obituary, right, Let's 142 00:09:26,520 --> 00:09:30,120 Speaker 1: catchy though it is. And another thing I gotta mention 143 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:34,319 Speaker 1: this guy also invented a machine that curls bacon. Or no, 144 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:36,959 Speaker 1: it's a it's a machine that that that when bacon cooks, 145 00:09:37,000 --> 00:09:40,559 Speaker 1: it prevents it from curling. Oh yeah, that's right. Clearly 146 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: where is this machine? Can I purchase it? I don't 147 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: think you can. Um. And an automatic potato peeler he 148 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 1: invented automatic like continual potato peeler just can't stop one stop. Um. 149 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,559 Speaker 1: But yes, So this was how Ego Food Products the 150 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:02,600 Speaker 1: company was born. M There was a problem though. While 151 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: they had no trouble selling their products near their home base, 152 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,959 Speaker 1: shipping mayo and fresh waffle batter really limited the reach 153 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 1: um and this spurred them to recreate a tinned powder 154 00:10:15,640 --> 00:10:17,480 Speaker 1: that just needed a bit of milk added to it 155 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,439 Speaker 1: as as a waffle batter exactly. Restaurants looking to turn 156 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:25,800 Speaker 1: out waffles more quickly were some of their most profitable customers. Yes, 157 00:10:26,480 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: this was not the first powdered waffle mix, however, that 158 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:32,839 Speaker 1: distinction goes to Pearl Milling COEs Aunt, Jemima, Pancake and 159 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 1: waffle mix all the way back to goodness. Well, that 160 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:41,959 Speaker 1: explains the racism in the name. Laurence Giljoy Corner back again, 161 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:46,559 Speaker 1: kill Corner with a K by the way, with the 162 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: dough flowing in, I know. With from their expanded market, 163 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,079 Speaker 1: the doors of Brothers purchased the Garden City Potato Chip 164 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: factory in night and we're soon selling potato chips alongside 165 00:10:59,760 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: their waffles and mayonnaise. What an interesting product, I mean, 166 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: they got a lot of diversity going here, they did. Yeah, 167 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: and this is what inspired Frank Dorst to invent the 168 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: automatic potato peeler. By the way, but let's jump ahead 169 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:17,840 Speaker 1: to the nineteen fifties. The Americans consumer wanted convenience. They 170 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:21,040 Speaker 1: want a mess with making fresh waffles or even powdered mixes. 171 00:11:21,600 --> 00:11:24,040 Speaker 1: So I'm sure you remember from our frozen food episode. 172 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: This is when frozen foods were taking the US by storm. 173 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: The Dorsto brothers knew that in order to stay afloat, 174 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:34,080 Speaker 1: they needed to compete by coming up with a frozen waffle, 175 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:37,439 Speaker 1: But first they needed to figure out how to produce 176 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: waffles on a large scale. Frank was undeterred by this challenge, 177 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,959 Speaker 1: and in three he utilized the engine of a merry 178 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:49,720 Speaker 1: go Around with just as many waffle irons as possible 179 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: attached to it. What. Yes, I love this. It's it's 180 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: monstrous in my head, the thing I'm imagining just like nightmares. 181 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: But it worked the country option. As it rotated, the 182 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: waffles cooked, and there were employees placed around this thing 183 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 1: flipping the waffles when it was time, and after they 184 00:12:09,640 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: were cooked, they were frozen. Thousands of waffles an hour 185 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,319 Speaker 1: were turned out this way, and when the first of 186 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 1: those waffles hit the grocery store aisles later that same year, 187 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: they were called froffles frozen waffles. Froffles. They boasted major 188 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: convenience factors. You put them in the toaster and they 189 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,280 Speaker 1: were ready in about a minute. That's pretty convenient, which 190 00:12:33,040 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: pretty much killed their tend to mix line. Oops. Yeah, 191 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 1: and also took a swing at the waffle iron business. 192 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:45,360 Speaker 1: And they were very popular on the West Coast because 193 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: that's pretty much where they were shipping them at the time. UM, 194 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 1: the name Froffles did not stick. Um by the Dorses 195 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 1: adopted They're already well known Eggo name for their waffles, 196 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 1: So that is when Go Waffles were born officially. Officially 197 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty, they trademarked a mascot named Mr Ego, 198 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:11,199 Speaker 1: which was this like dancing stick figure egg that was 199 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:15,959 Speaker 1: wearing a top hat. UM one of just total side note. 200 00:13:15,960 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: One of the design search codes that it falls under 201 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:21,840 Speaker 1: in the U S Trademark Office is zero two point 202 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 1: zero one point three three and I quote grotesque men 203 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 1: formed by letters, numbers, punctuation, or geometric shapes, semi colon 204 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 1: stick figures. I've got to look this up. It's it's 205 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:36,959 Speaker 1: it's just I mean, it looks sort of like Mr Peanut, 206 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,560 Speaker 1: but as an egg. Yeah. At the time, the company, 207 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:45,120 Speaker 1: UM Ego. Ego Food Products offered all manner of stuff, 208 00:13:45,360 --> 00:13:49,320 Speaker 1: including pickles and salad dressings and canned tuna and gelatin 209 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 1: desserts and like barbecue sauces, all sorts of stuff. Wow. 210 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:57,400 Speaker 1: By nineteen sixty two, Ego Food Products was booming and 211 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:00,400 Speaker 1: they moved out to a huge new plant on the 212 00:14:00,440 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: outskirts of San jose Um on a street called Ego 213 00:14:04,160 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 1: Away I believe Yeah Um. It was there that they 214 00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,559 Speaker 1: caught the attention of Fern Foods, Inc. Which made the 215 00:14:11,640 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: dorsets a tempting offer, and they sold the company in 216 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty six and Aunt Jemima came out with its 217 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: own frozen waffle in which is Ego's most serious competitor. 218 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: Jumping ahead to nineteen seventy Kellogg. You remember Kellogg acquired 219 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: Fern Foods, Inc. And it was their first foray into 220 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 1: frozen foods. And this was obviously a game changer and 221 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: at lant to one of the catchiest slogans from my childhood, 222 00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:47,480 Speaker 1: at least Lego my ego. This came about due to 223 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: an ad agency Leo Burnett, after the slogan burst unto 224 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:55,239 Speaker 1: the scene in nineteen seventy two. It gained such popularity 225 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:58,040 Speaker 1: that they kept it until two thousand eight, and when 226 00:14:58,080 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: they retired it briefly, they brought it back in Yeah. 227 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 1: And a bonus fact, Americans got their introduction to the 228 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 1: Belgian waffle at the nineteen sixty four World's Fair by 229 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: the Van Damn family, who went on to open a 230 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: location in Mardondo Beach four years later. Twenty years after that, 231 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 1: in nineteen eight, they introduced their own frozen waffle vans 232 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:25,760 Speaker 1: waffles that were marketed as more wholesome as they were 233 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: made up with em renth and keenoa. Yeah, ancient grains. 234 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: I know, we'll do an episode on Belgian waffles one day. Oh, absolutely, 235 00:15:33,760 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: and ancient grains, but probably mostly separately, probably, yeah, but 236 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: there will be some overlap Kellogg's um. They also pushed 237 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 1: EGO into many new flavor territories blueberry, strawberry, chocolate, brown sugar, cinnamon, 238 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: et cetera, and of course, the seasonally available pumpkin spice. 239 00:15:51,160 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: It all comes back to pumpkin spice. Other occasional flavor 240 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:58,600 Speaker 1: releases French toast, French toast waffles always confused to me anyway, 241 00:15:59,120 --> 00:16:04,640 Speaker 1: s'mores and confetti confetti confetti flavored waffles. Anytime that you 242 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:07,120 Speaker 1: can put colored sprinkles in anything, I'm pretty excited about it. 243 00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: I've never thought about how weird it is that we 244 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: call it confetti, though, like that's the flavor, right, It's 245 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: more of just the look, it's it's I don't want 246 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: to taste like confetti. I have you? Have you swallowed 247 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:22,520 Speaker 1: enough confetti to be able to say that definitively? I 248 00:16:22,640 --> 00:16:24,360 Speaker 1: was at a concert once where I was right next 249 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: to the confetti canon and uh, all right with expert 250 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: witness testimony. UM Frank Dorson meanwhile passed away in Um, 251 00:16:36,520 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: survived by by his by his loving son Um. And meanwhile, 252 00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: Kellogg's just keeps on pushing the bounds of breakfast through 253 00:16:44,880 --> 00:16:49,280 Speaker 1: the Echo brand. In the two thousands, they debuted just 254 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,640 Speaker 1: a number of really amazingly ridiculous products that I mostly missed, 255 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: so just in case anyone else is super entertained by them. 256 00:16:55,560 --> 00:16:59,760 Speaker 1: Ego Real Fruit Pizzas, which is this like like a 257 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: namon and maple flavored crust with fruit and granola on top. 258 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:09,320 Speaker 1: Wafflers and minis, both of which pull apart for for 259 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:13,920 Speaker 1: easy hand eating and condiment dipping. Toaster muffinto lights, which 260 00:17:13,960 --> 00:17:18,640 Speaker 1: were muffin tops for your toaster, Eggo maple Syrup cereal, 261 00:17:19,560 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: which was a breakfast cereal that was like vaguely in 262 00:17:22,080 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: the shape of of waffles. There were Lego branded eggos, 263 00:17:28,119 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: Lego my Eggos. Oh man, my mind just got blown. 264 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:36,760 Speaker 1: That's amazing. They came out with a waffle syrup. They 265 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,680 Speaker 1: have waffle breakfast sandwiches, Eggo biscuit scramblers which were kind 266 00:17:40,720 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 1: of like breakfast top pockets. And yes, finally too late 267 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:49,639 Speaker 1: for Frank, they came out with toaster pancakes. Yes, and 268 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:52,560 Speaker 1: he was working on that. That's one of the reasons. Yeah, 269 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 1: they put that in the eventual or even though I 270 00:17:54,440 --> 00:17:56,720 Speaker 1: thought it was a little a little bit snarky, Yeah, 271 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: but but still he yeah, he His son said that 272 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,399 Speaker 1: that he just never quite never quite got the texture right. 273 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:08,359 Speaker 1: I imagine it would be very tricky. Due to a 274 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 1: listeria infection scare at the Atlanta plant that resulted and 275 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:16,359 Speaker 1: recall of four thousand five cases of waffles, followed by 276 00:18:16,400 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: flooding just as soon as the plant was about to reopen, 277 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:23,360 Speaker 1: followed by a temperation shutdown of the plant in Tennessee, 278 00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:26,400 Speaker 1: there was an Eggo waffle shortage from two thousand nine 279 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:29,800 Speaker 1: to there's a little bit of like hoarding that went on. Um, 280 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: they limited their releases of their waffles to various stores, 281 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 1: and there were definitely a few people that were like 282 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:40,000 Speaker 1: selling them for an up charge on eBay. Wow. Yeah, 283 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: I know, buying your Ego waffles on eBay dangerous prospect. Yeah, 284 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,959 Speaker 1: that's a little bit of a risk. And then along 285 00:18:48,080 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: comes stranger things in bringing Ego back into the site geist. 286 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:57,240 Speaker 1: And so that is our Eggo waffle timeline. Yes, and 287 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: it brings us back to another quick break for a 288 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:15,160 Speaker 1: word from our sponsor, and we're back, Thank you sponsor. Yes. 289 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:20,160 Speaker 1: So a lot of there's a lot of interesting little 290 00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: cultural things that come up when you look into waffles 291 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: frozen waffles in particular. Um, when I was searching, this 292 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 1: is something I've never heard of before, but a lot 293 00:19:31,440 --> 00:19:35,320 Speaker 1: of the results in the Google came back with the 294 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 1: Taco Bell, Taco Bell waffle, Taco waffle, Taco waffle, taco 295 00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:42,400 Speaker 1: I think I saw a commercial for that. Oh boy, 296 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:47,080 Speaker 1: it was introduced and it's pretty much what it sounds like. 297 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:50,920 Speaker 1: Taco Bells director for product development stumbled on a Facebook 298 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: post of an egg avocado taco and rushed to the 299 00:19:55,160 --> 00:19:58,919 Speaker 1: store for frozen waffles to test it out herself the team. 300 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: The development team went through eighty different tacos, changing things 301 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,159 Speaker 1: like waffle thickness and amount of vanilla until they settled 302 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 1: on the one. If anyone has experienced one of these, 303 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: I've had a savory waffle before, um, but I've never 304 00:20:16,160 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 1: had a taco. Oh yeah, I mean I've had like 305 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: chicken and waffles, which are sort of savory. Yes. And 306 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:28,920 Speaker 1: speaking of chicken and waffles, UM, just a brief I 307 00:20:29,280 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: kind of got curious about this when I was researching 308 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,400 Speaker 1: after the talk about waffle taco, I looked into chicken 309 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:38,679 Speaker 1: and waffles. So this duo dates back to the sixteen 310 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:42,080 Speaker 1: hundreds in the US, when the Pennsylvania Dutch would put 311 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: chicken and gravy on top of their waffles. Virginia breakfast, 312 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,440 Speaker 1: or a meal consisting of fried or baked meat in 313 00:20:49,480 --> 00:20:52,479 Speaker 1: a quick bread, was the standard of Southern hospitality by 314 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,919 Speaker 1: the eighteen hundreds. It's also very likely that African American 315 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,760 Speaker 1: slaves were making a version of this too. But then 316 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,200 Speaker 1: take a massive leap forward to the Wells Supper Club 317 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: located in Harlem, New York in ninety eight, Musicians playing 318 00:21:07,240 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 1: at Wells, as it was called by the locals, would 319 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 1: either arrive too late or get done too late for 320 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 1: either dinner or breakfast, so they wanted a combination of both. Chickens. 321 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:23,240 Speaker 1: The trend transverse the US, and in nineteen seventies six 322 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 1: Roscoe's House of Chicken Waffles opened in Los Angeles, California. 323 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: Um started by someone who had grown up in Harlem, Gladyson. 324 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 1: Ron's chicken and Waffles restaurant, until recently operating here in Atlanta, 325 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: was in part inspired by nights night spent at Wells. Yeah, 326 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:42,840 Speaker 1: and I found this funny quote that I wish we 327 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,600 Speaker 1: had included in the Fried Chicken episode, but putting it 328 00:21:45,680 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: in here. Anytime you talk about fried chicken in the South, 329 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: you're in essence talking about somebody's mama. And when you 330 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: talk about somebody's mama, somebody's gonna get mad. That's from 331 00:21:56,720 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: an NPR story I read about the Oh yeah, you 332 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:03,359 Speaker 1: fried chicken and waffles. Yeah, it's do people. Yeah, we 333 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:05,600 Speaker 1: we all care a lot about fried chicken around here. 334 00:22:05,720 --> 00:22:08,800 Speaker 1: We do. If you couldn't tell from our Fried Chicken episode. 335 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 1: And another thing we care about down here waffle House. 336 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 1: Waffle House, I know, Okay, so we're gonna do this 337 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:19,159 Speaker 1: in another episode. Yeah. I actually already did some for 338 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,199 Speaker 1: limerity research, and then I had to be like stocked, 339 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: got other things to do. Um, but I have to 340 00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 1: leave you with this. Apparently there's no deep friar at 341 00:22:28,400 --> 00:22:30,639 Speaker 1: waffle house. I don't believe it. No, I don't believe it. 342 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:34,920 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, it seems impossible, but it's true. I 343 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: can't wait. Okay, future episode. And apparently last thing there 344 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:43,000 Speaker 1: was a big kerfuffle on Top Chef when one of 345 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: the contestants used frozen waffles. It was called waffle gate, 346 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:54,919 Speaker 1: all right. Yeah, well mm hmm. That about closes up 347 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: our episode on frozen waffles, which means that it's time 348 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 1: for some listener mail. Hannah sent us this note in 349 00:23:01,960 --> 00:23:05,520 Speaker 1: response to our better episode. My grandmother on my mother's 350 00:23:05,560 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: side is someone who has always been curious and always 351 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 1: loves to pay people a compliment. So when she discovered 352 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:14,679 Speaker 1: Trappist jam made by the monks of St. Joseph's Abbey 353 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: of Spencer, Massachusetts, she decided she had to call them 354 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 1: and tell them how much she loved their jam. She 355 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: managed to get the head of the abbey on the 356 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,160 Speaker 1: phone and chatted with him for several hours. Yeah, about 357 00:23:26,200 --> 00:23:28,440 Speaker 1: how they make their jams, and about the history of 358 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: the abbey, and just said she had a wonderful time 359 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: and everyone was wonderfully sweet. At the end of the conversation, 360 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: they asked her for her address and promptly sent her 361 00:23:37,359 --> 00:23:40,560 Speaker 1: a box of twelve of the different jams they make, 362 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:42,720 Speaker 1: and I believe sent her a few more boxes of 363 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,159 Speaker 1: jam over the next few years. Goes to show it 364 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 1: never hurts to compliment your favorite small business. She sounds 365 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: like a lovely lady, she really does, and they sound 366 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:54,680 Speaker 1: like a lovely jam company. I know this is something Laura, 367 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:56,800 Speaker 1: that I would do. We like have a million questions 368 00:23:56,840 --> 00:24:00,600 Speaker 1: about Everything's so interested keep talking to tell us about 369 00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:06,479 Speaker 1: your jam jam all day. Also in response to our 370 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:10,199 Speaker 1: butter episode, Courtney wrote, the Illinois State Fair also has 371 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,000 Speaker 1: a tradition of the butter cow that started around ninety 372 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:16,200 Speaker 1: years ago and continues on today. It is a staple 373 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: for most people to go to the fair. I believe 374 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:22,879 Speaker 1: other state fairs have this tradition also, probably mostly Midwestern states, 375 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: but being from Illinois, I am of course partial to 376 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: our tradition, and she said pictures A lot, a lot 377 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:32,960 Speaker 1: of people were in about the butter the butter cow 378 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:38,440 Speaker 1: butter sculpture. Yell, I still I've never seen this me either, 379 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:44,080 Speaker 1: but I mean in person. Yeah. Goals goals, food stuff goals. 380 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:48,800 Speaker 1: If you would like to send us a letter like 381 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:51,680 Speaker 1: these lovely listeners did um, you can do so. We 382 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:54,199 Speaker 1: have an email address it is food stuff at how 383 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:57,080 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com. We are also on Facebook and 384 00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: Twitter at food stuff hs W, and we are on 385 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: Instagram at food stuff. So we hope that we will 386 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 1: hear from you, and we hope that lots more good 387 00:25:07,359 --> 00:25:08,400 Speaker 1: things are coming your way