JAFFLE TIME

Jaffles

Many older Namibians grew up eating jaffles – two slices of bread stuffed with minced meat, tomato, onions and sometimes cheese, and cooked over the flame of a primus stove using a special jaffle pan. The pan was of a special design: two round disks shaped like clamshells, attached to longish handles. The pan with the stuffed sandwich is closed and the handles are secured. This causes the edges of the pan to trim the bread and thereby effectively sealing the stuffing between the two slices of bread. The pan is held over an open flame until the bread is well toasted and the cheese has melted. When the jaffle is cooked, the pan is opened and the sandwich removed. It is best eaten while hot.

Besides being delicious, jaffles are quick and easy to make and they are good value for money. They are also suitable to eat on the go, which made them a favourite snack offered at large public gatherings such as sports events, agricultural shows, church bazaars and school fundraisers.

The jaffle iron was designed, named and patented in Australia in 1949 by a medical practitioner, Dr Ernest Smithers. The design was inspired by the waffle iron. The original wafel was a Dutch dish dating back to the 13th century. The practice of cooking two flat bread-like round shapes between two engraved iron disks started when the Catholic Church added religious motives to the plates used for communion wafers. The contemporary honey-combed wafelijzer, as we know it, emerged during the 15 th century in Belgium.

Dr Smithers’ invention was intended for outdoor use over an open flame or hot coals, hence the long handles. It was an instant hit in a country that is barbeque-mad. Soon it became fashionable to have several bowls of toppings and let guests toast their jaffles with a filling of their choice. The jaffle iron’s popularity spread to campsites, the streets and public markets. It quickly became a global favourite among street food lovers.

Naturally, as other cultures adopted the jaffle, it started losing some of its identity. In the USA jaffle pans are known as pie irons or tonka toasters, and in India the famous Bombay Sandwich is made with something resembling a jaffle pan. Unlike the original jaffle, the Bombay (or Mumbai) sandwich has a vegetarian filling and is commonly served with herbal chutney. More recently, South African born chef Meryl van der Merwe established Jafflz, a chain that sells gourmet jaffles in the USA.

Much like the Blues, it was only a matter of time before the jaffle ‘discovered’ electricity. Breville, an Australian kitchen appliance maker, launched their original Jaffle Maker in 1974. It was an instant hit and the jaffle was reinvented as the snackwich. The original jaffle iron has all but disappeared from public life these days and other than the monthly local Boeremark (farmers market) I don’t know of any place that still sells traditional jaffles.