{{short description|Hong Kong dish}} {{EngvarB|date=August 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2016}} {{Infobox food | name = Egg waffle | image = HK Lower Wong Tai Sin Eatate Tung Tau Tsuen Road n Ching Tak Street 雞蛋仔.JPG | image_size = 250px | caption = Small ball-shaped egg waffle and large European-style waffles at a street food stand | alternate_name = Bubble Waffle, Egg puff, puffle, ''gai daan jai'', egglet | country = Hong Kong | region = | creator = | course = | type = Pancake or waffle | served = Hot | main_ingredient = Eggs, sugar, flour, evaporated milk | variations = | calories = | other = }} {{Chinese |pic=Egg Waffle again.JPG |piccap2= |t=雞蛋仔 |s=鸡蛋仔 |l=Chicken egg + <nowiki>[</nowiki>diminutive suffix<nowiki>]</nowiki> |y=Gāi daahn jái |j=Gai1 daan2 zai2 |p=Jīdànzǎi |showflag=j }} An '''egg waffle''' ({{lang|zh|雞蛋仔}}) is a spherical egg-based waffle popular in Hong Kong and Macau,<ref name="cnn-travel-1">{{cite web|title=Gai daan tsai challenge: The quest for Hong Kong's best egg waffle|url=http://travel.cnn.com/hong-kong/eat/hong-kong-egg-waffles-885080|publisher=CNN Travel|access-date=6 January 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724112437/http://www.cnngo.com/hong-kong/eat/hong-kong-egg-waffles-885080|archive-date=24 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> consisting of an eggy leavened batter cooked between two plates of semi-spherical cells. They are usually served hot, and often eaten plain, although they may be served with fruit and flavors such as strawberry, coconut, or chocolate.<ref name="kaboodle">{{Cite web|url=http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/hong-kong-streets-snack|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606045218/http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/hong-kong-streets-snack|url-status=dead|title=Hong Kong — Street’s snack review at Kaboodle<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=6 June 2008}}</ref> It is referred to by its original Cantonese name, '''''gai daan jai''''' (雞蛋仔),<ref name="cnn-travel-1" /> and in English, an '''egg puff''', '''bubble waffle''', '''eggette''', '''pancake balls''', '''pancake waffle''', '''egglet''', and '''puffle'''.{{Citation needed|date=November 2022}} They are sometimes referred to as '''Hong Kong cakes''' in Chinatowns across America, especially in New York.<ref name="serious-eats-1">{{cite web|title=Lost Tastes: Perfect Hong Kong Cakes|url=http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/03/food-quest-perfect-hong-kong-cakes-mosco-street-chinatown.html|publisher=Serious Eats|access-date=6 January 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106204025/http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/03/food-quest-perfect-hong-kong-cakes-mosco-street-chinatown.html|archive-date=6 January 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> One piece of egg waffle can have around 20 to 35 small round "balls".
Egg waffles are among the most popular Hong Kong "street snacks" and were ranked No. 1 in a 100 most popular HK street snack listing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://programme.tvb.com/foodandtravel/topeats100/episode/14/#page-1|title=香港美食100強 - 每集內容 - 第14集 - 美食排行：第一、二位 - tvb.com|website=programme.tvb.com|access-date=26 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221150/http://programme.tvb.com/foodandtravel/topeats100/episode/14/#page-1|archive-date=3 March 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> They have been a favored street snack since their emergence in the 1950s, when they were made with coal fire heating and sold from street kiosks in Hong Kong.<ref name="Kissell">{{cite web|title=Eggettes|first=Joe|last=Kissell|work=The Geeky Gourmet|date=29 November 2006|url=https://geekygourmet.com/2006/11/29/eggettes/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160608090910/https://geekygourmet.com/2006/11/29/eggettes/|archive-date=8 June 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=20060903gothamist>{{cite web|title=Hong Kong Cakes|date=3 September 2006|work=Gothamist.com|url=http://gothamist.com/2006/09/03/street_eats_hon.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080420092532/http://gothamist.com/2006/09/03/street_eats_hon.php|archive-date=20 April 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=hkmag19012>{{cite web |url=http://hk-magazine.com/article/inside-hk/mr-know-it-all/19012/who-invented-hong-kong-egg-puff |title=Who invented the Hong Kong egg puff? | HK Magazine |access-date=2016-08-08 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808170454/http://hk-magazine.com/article/inside-hk/mr-know-it-all/19012/who-invented-hong-kong-egg-puff |archive-date=8 August 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>
==History== The origins of the egg waffle or ''gai daan jai'' (which literally translates to "little chicken egg") are unknown, despite being ingrained in the memories of Hong Kong residents young and old. One story says the enterprising post-war generation created the egg-shaped mold to make up for an eggless batter, as eggs used to be a luxury. Another tale points to street hawkers who bought damaged eggs on the cheap to work them into a batter, resulting in the classic golden color of the cake. It also is reasonable to suggest that the special iron skillet used to mold the ''gai daan jai'' is a Hong Kong take on the traditional checkered European waffle press.<ref name="cnn-travel-1" />
There is also another tale that in 1944, a food stall owner named Mr. Cheung, began using a cart to sell ''daan kau jai'' (蛋球仔), which is the predecessor of egg waffle. ''Daan kau jai'' was bigger than an egg waffle, and was often divided into 30 pieces for selling by the hawkers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hk.lifestyle.appledaily.com/lifestyle/realtime/article/20190210/59235583|title=【澳門美食】雞蛋仔前身？ 75年老字號澤賢記重開賣葡撻蛋球仔|website=appledaily.com|access-date=2019-03-01|archive-date=7 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190307054039/https://hk.lifestyle.appledaily.com/lifestyle/realtime/article/20190210/59235583|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/entertainment/art/20150526/19159916|title=【雞蛋仔透視 】三毫子變七百蚊|website=appledaily.com|access-date=2019-03-01|archive-date=27 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027123319/http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/entertainment/art/20150526/19159916|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Preparation== thumb|upright|Egg batter is poured over a special waffle pan before being heated on a charcoal stove. thumb|upright|Modern egg waffle pans Egg waffles are made from a sweet, egg-rich batter that is cooked on a hot griddle, a special frying pan with small round cells (resembling an æbleskiver pan but with a higher number of smaller round cells). The griddle is set on hot coals in the fire, or more commonly on an electrical heater. The batter is poured over the special frying pan and heated; the small ovals of egg waffles are thus formed. The crucial key to prepare a crispy egg waffle is to turn over the pan quickly after the batter is poured into the hot frying pan. This could create an egg waffle that is crispy on top, and cake-like on the bottom.<ref name=hkmag19012/> The waffle is also crispy on the outside with each bubble providing a fluffiness on the inside.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |author=Maggie Hiufu Wong |date=31 July 2020 |title=Bubble waffles: The uniquely Hong Kong snack that's popping up around the world |url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hong-kong-bubble-waffles/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731204155/https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/hong-kong-bubble-waffles/index.html |archive-date=31 July 2020 |access-date=2020-08-02 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref> In addition to the conventional "egg taste", they are also available in a variety of flavours such as chocolate, green-tea, ginger, etc. Most batters used in egg waffle are quick breads, although some are also made using a yeast-raised or fermented batter. Egg waffles can be eaten at different times of the day, depending on local tradition.{{Cn|date=February 2025}}
==Modern flavours== Despite the origin of the traditional egg waffle is from Hong Kong, it is nowadays being reinvented all around the world. It is common to see the egg waffle in a variety of flavours such as green tea, chocolate, cheese, pandan, or purple sweet potato,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jessicahk.com/articles/xiang-gang-du-you-ji-dan-zi-xin-jiu-zi-wei-ren-ni-jian|title=香港獨有！雞蛋仔新舊滋味任你揀|date=13 April 2016|website=jessicahk.com|access-date=26 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913141121/http://www.jessicahk.com/articles/xiang-gang-du-you-ji-dan-zi-xin-jiu-zi-wei-ren-ni-jian|archive-date=13 September 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> but it has also gained popularity as a dessert in which it is served with different kinds of ice cream.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.afoodieworld.com/mabellui/4911-egg-waffles-reinvented|title=Egg Waffles, Reinvented|last=mabellui|website=afoodieworld.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913135837/http://www.afoodieworld.com/mabellui/4911-egg-waffles-reinvented|archive-date=13 September 2017|url-status=dead|access-date=26 April 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==See also== {{Portal|Food}} * Pandan waffle, a Vietnamese snack * Æbleskiver, a similar Danish dish * Kuzhi paniyaram, a similar dish from the south of India * Paper wrapped cake, a Hong Kong egg sponge cake * Poffertjes, a similar Dutch dish *Taiyaki * Takoyaki, a similar Japanese dish with savory octopus filling * Imagawayaki * List of quick breads * Wheel Pie
==References== {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * {{cite web | last=Connelly | first=Michael Alan | title=20 Must-Try Street Foods Around the World | website=Fodor's | date=18 December 2014 | url=https://www.fodors.com/news/photos/20-must-try-street-foods-around-the-world#!13-egg-waffle | access-date=24 July 2016}}
==External links== {{commons category|Egg waffle}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20121110020806/http://www.cnngo.com/hong-kong/eat/hong-kong-egg-waffles-885080 Gai daan tsai challenge: The quest for Hong Kong's best egg waffle]
{{Hong Kong cuisine}} {{Waffles}} {{Pancakes}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Pancakes Category:Waffles Category:Quick breads Category:Sweet breads Category:Hong Kong desserts Category:Street food Category:Hong Kong cuisine