The People Have Spoken … and They Want Waffles

2013 is all about the waffle. (Screen shot from http://youtu.be/If3mhf6P6so)

I’ll admit it. I didn’t see this coming. I had no idea that waffles would be the food craze of 2013. If you had told me that at the beginning of this year, I would have laughed right in your face.

But you would have been right, although you couldn’t have been right because no one saw this coming. Sure, if you had told me that some frankenpastry like the cronut … MUST. HAVE. CRONUT. Oh, sorry, I don’t know what came over me there. Where was I? Oh, yes, right. So if you had suggested something along those lines, I could have believed it. But waffles? Come on, man.

Waffles are great and all, but they’re a limited medium. You’ve got your plain waffle with some syrup, your waffle topped with a bunch of fruit, your desert waffle with ice cream and/or chocolate, your chicken and waffles (If you’ve never had chicken and waffles, you really need to get on that. Like today. Go. You can finish reading this later) — you get the idea. What else can you really do with a waffle?

Apparently, a lot. Back in May, Lay’s debuted a chicken and waffles potato chip as part of their Do Us A Flavor contest. Then, last month, Popeyes joined the waffle fray by announcing their new chicken waffle tenders, served with a honey-maple dipping sauce. Finally, Taco Bell has just begun serving a waffle taco, or, in other words, a waffle wrapped around some scrambled eggs and a sausage patty with maple syrup drizzled on top.

Damn, waffles. I didn’t know you had all that in you. If only the Belgians could see you now.

Even though there are those that will hate on your recent mutant offspring, don’t listen to them. Deep down, they know how delicious you and your freaky progeny are. They’re just ashamed to admit that they overlooked you.

But I’m not any longer. I’m sorry for doubting you, waffles. Please forgive me. It won’t ever happen again.

Now pass those chicken and waffles chips so that I can eat them with my chicken waffle tenders, which I’ve stuffed into this waffle taco. MMMMMMMMM … syrupy.

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Charlie Crespo (@Little_Utopia) is the editor-in-chief of Little Utopia.