John F. Kennedy’s waffle recipe is stored in the National Archives.

Waffle making ingredients

John F. Kennedy’s political legacy is still felt today, but the 35th U.S. president also made a lasting culinary impact. Though he delegated the actual cooking to others, JFK’s favorite waffle recipe was widely requested and shared during his time in office, and is now stored in the National Archives. The dish includes standard ingredients such as butter, sugar, and eggs, but mixes sifted cake flour with whipped egg whites to produce a light and fluffy texture that Kennedy enjoyed. The president, who was also fond of orange juice, poached eggs, and broiled bacon at breakfast, topped the waffles with hot maple syrup and melted butter to finish off the decadent treat.

JFK’s waffle recipe is likely the most famous of any president’s, but Thomas Jefferson may have played a key role in waffles being popularized stateside. Culinary lore suggests it was Jefferson who helped ignite the waffle craze in the 1790s upon his return from France, when he arrived with four waffle irons in his luggage. Jefferson even reportedly served waffles to explorer Meriwether Lewis at the White House prior to the Lewis and Clark expedition, though some historians at Jefferson’s Monticello estate claim the founding father’s impact on colonial waffle culture was minimal. President William Howard Taft also openly expressed a love for waffles during his presidency, though was known to detest eggs and enjoyed a steak for breakfast almost every morning.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Eggo began as a company that sold mayonnaise.

Eggo is best known for its patented brand of frozen waffles, but in the 1930s, the company began by selling an entirely different product: mayonnaise. In 1932, brothers Frank, Tony, and Sam Dorsa started a mayonnaise business operating out of their mother’s home. The trio adopted the name “Eggo” in reference to the fresh eggs they used to produce their creamy condiment. In the ensuing decades, the Dorsa brothers extended their product line to include potato chips and powdered waffle mix, though it wasn’t until 1953 that Eggo hit it big with a line of frozen waffles initially known as “Froffles.” As the first of its kind, the product was a big hit, though customers referred to the waffles as “Eggos,” forcing the company to abandon the Froffles portmanteau within two years. Realizing this was a moneymaking opportunity, Eggo pivoted away from the mayo that made it famous and focused on its now-beloved frozen waffles full time.