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In William Shakespeare’s Henry V Part II, Scene 3, Pistol uses the phrase “men’s faiths are wafer-cakes.” Wafer cakes were thin baked breads that would eventually become what we know today as waffles. During the Renaissance and Middle Ages, specialty iron tongs were used to bake wafers that were served as a final blessing after the Eucharist in churches. The art of making waffles was so popular in the Netherlands that when the Pilgrims, who had spent some time in Holland, set sail for North America in 1621, it is believed that some of the Dutch who went with them took these wafer cakes on board. While waffles may not have been a staple breakfast food for Shakespeare’s lifetime, it turns out the bard not only had waffles but they came in a surprising variety of shapes and recipes. Here today to share with us the Shakespearean history of wafer cakes and waffles is our guest and expert food historian, Sam Bilton.
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Inside That Shakespeare Society for this episode:
Society members can explore the surprising history of waffles in Shakespeare’s lifetime through art, primary texts, and material culture that reveal how this familiar food once signaled luxury, ritual, and elite celebration.
This episode’s insider extras include:
- Seventeenth-century still-life paintings depicting waffles as rare and prestigious foods
- Evidence from early modern cookbooks showing wafer cakes as luxury items reserved for banquets
- Excerpts from The English Housewife detailing how and when wafers were served in elite households
- Images and discussion of ornate wafer irons, including hexagonal designs still familiar today
- Visual and historical context for noble households with dedicated waferies
- Artwork illustrating waffles in public celebration and religious festival culture
- Manuscript images tracing the origins of waffles in Eucharistic practice and medieval religious life
…and additional images, documents, and sources for deeper exploration.
→ Become a member of That Shakespeare Society and explore the sources behind the story.
About Samantha Bilton
Food historian, writer and cook Sam Bilton has been intrigued by spices most of her life. Her first book on the history of gingerbread won a World Gourmand Cookbook award in 2021 and she is a frequent contributor to national magazines, food festivals, television and radio. Fool’s Gold: A History of British Saffron is Sam’s second book was released in September 2022. For further information visit sambilton.com or follow Sam on instagram @mrssbilton.
I’ll be asking Sam Bilton about:
- How were waffles made during Shakespeare’s lifetime?
- What kind of shape did waffles have in the 17th century?
- What was the difference between the waffle we know today and wafer cakes mentioned in Shakespeare’s Henry V?
- …and more!
Books and Resources Sam Bilton recommends:
Cooking & Dining in Tudor and Stuart England by Peter Brears (Prospect Books, 2015) – indispensable for studying the food of Shakespeare’s time!
Food Historian, Ivan Day’s blog http://foodhistorjottings.blogspot.com is also excellent. You can also find a short film of Ivan discussing Tudor banquets on YouTube
The Oxford Companion to Sugar and Sweets (edited by Darra Goldstein) is a great a place to begin researching sweet treats such as waffles.
The Biscuit by Lizzie Collingham (Bodley Head, 2020) – a really enjoyable read particularly if you have a fondness for historical biscuits! It also includes a section on waffles and wafers.
