Wafer

A wafer is a crisp, often sweet, very thin, flat, light biscuit,[1] often used to decorate ice cream, and also used as a garnish on some sweet dishes.[2] Wafers can also be made into cookies with cream flavoring sandwiched between them (e.g., Oreo). They frequently have a waffle surface pattern but may also be patterned with insignia of the food's manufacturer or may be patternless. Some chocolate bars, such as Kit Kat and Coffee Crisp, are wafers with chocolate in and around them.

Not to be confused with waffle.
This article is about the food. For the semiconductor used in electronics, see Wafer (electronics).
Wafer
Ice cream sandwiches prepared with wafers
TypeCookie

Communion wafers
Main article: Sacramental bread

A communion wafer is a type of unleavened bread consumed after transubstantiation as part of the Christian ritual of communion.

Spa wafer
A round Carlsbad spa wafer.
Polish Christmas wafers, depicting Christian scenes.

Special "spa wafers" (Czech: lázeňské oplatky, Slovak: kúpeľné oblátky) are produced in the spa towns of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic (e.g. Piešťany). The production of the wafers in Karlsbad and Marienbad was traditional to the towns' German-speaking population, who, after the ethnic cleansing of the area, brought the craft to Germany.[3]

Christmas wafer

Christmas wafers are made of only wheat flour and water. Their patterns often depict religious scenes, are a Central European Roman Catholic Christmas tradition celebrated in Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian and Italian families on Christmas Eve. These do not have sacramental value like the communion wafer. Christmas wafers are symbolic bread to share among guests to emphasize the close relationship by eating bread together. This gesture has a positive meaning, but additional wishes are often made as well. They are called opłatek (Latin: oblatum) in Polish, as opposed to wafel, which denotes a common wafer.

Oblea
large, thin wafer held in a hand
An oblea

A variation of a wafer, considered a part of the traditional cuisine in Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Venezuela, and México, is known as an oblea. It is usually eaten as a dessert with two pieces filled with arequipe, dulce de leche, or cajeta (milk caramel), and/or condensed milk in the middle. In some places, they might contain cheese, fruits, or chantilly cream, among others.

Pink wafer

The pink wafer is a wafer-based confectionery originally made by Edinburgh's Crawford's Biscuits in the United Kingdom.[4] It is now made by United Biscuits, the company that took over the firm in 1960, still using the Crawford's name. The snack consists of crème sandwiched between wafers (dyed pink).

There is a similar product branded Pink Panther wafers.[5][6]

Freska

Not to be confused with Fresca.

Freska (Egyptian Arabic: فريسكه [feˈɾeskæ]) is an Egyptian wafer sold only on beaches in the summertime. It is made from two thin circular wafers filled with a thin layer of honey syrup.[7]

Variations
  • An Israeli wafer
    An Israeli wafer
  • A chocolate-covered wafer
    A chocolate-covered wafer
  • Rolled wafers
    Rolled wafers
  • Pink 'n' Whites (marshmallow sandwiched in wafers)
    Pink 'n' Whites (marshmallow sandwiched in wafers)

Flavours

Some wafers are produced with a chocolate covering. Another popular flavor is lemon.

Shapes

Piroulines and Barquillos are wafers rolled into a tube, and sometimes filled with cream.

See also
  • Waffle, the pressed cake
  • Loacker, an Italian wafer manufacturer
  • Elledi, an Italian wafer confectionery and manufacturer
  • Manner, Austrian confectioner known for wafers
  • Neapolitan wafer, the chocolate and hazelnut cream sandwiched wafers
  • Nilla wafers, a thicker, small, round American cookie with a vanilla flavor
  • Mille-feuille, the French layered pastry
  • Pirouline, a rolled wafer, filled with a flavored creme
  • Stroopwafel, the Dutch thin, caramel filled waffle
  • Tompouce, the Benelux pastry
  • Trakinas, a Brazilian wafer brand
  • Horalky, the Slovak wafer bar
  • ANZAC wafer, the ironic term for army-issue hardtack biscuit in World Wars I and II

References
  1. "Collins Dictionary".
  2. Dusy, T.; Rynio, J. (2004). Coffee and Espresso: Make Your Favorite Drinks at Home. Quick and Easy Series. Silverback Books, Incorporated. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-930603-39-4. Retrieved May 27, 2017.
  3. Sarah Scholl-Schneider (2010). Sudetengeschichten : Vertriebene - Alteingesessene - Neusiedler (in German). Antikomplex. p. 183.
  4. "Wafer". Biscuit people. 11 June 2020.
  5. "Pink Panther Wafers 200G - Groceries - Tesco Groceries". Tesco.com. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
  6. Selwood, Daniel (2017-04-06). "Pink Panther Wafers to return with extra filling, new packs". The Grocer. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  7. "Swimming And Snacking On Egypt's North Coast". NPR. 2012-09-01. Retrieved 2012-10-10.
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