What name did Maurice Vermersch use for his Brussels-style waffles in the U.S.?
Answer
Bel-Gem Waffle
Answer
Bel-Gem Waffle
What name did Maurice Vermersch use for his Brussels-style waffles in the U.S.? He called them Bel-Gem Waffle.
Maurice Vermersch was a Belgian from Brussels who helped introduce Brussels-style waffles to American audiences. Rather than relying on the unfamiliar name “Brussels waffle,” he marketed the product in the United States as the Bel-Gem Waffle, a name designed to evoke Belgium in a form that American customers could easily remember.
Vermersch’s waffles were based on a simplified version of the Brussels waffle. They were light and airy, with larger and deeper pockets than many North American waffles. At the 1964 New York World's Fair, they were served with whipped cream and strawberries and sold for about one dollar.
A common mix-up is to credit the entire American introduction to the 1964 fair. Belgian-style waffles had appeared at Expo 58 in Brussels and at Seattle’s Century 21 Exposition in 1962. The New York fair, however, gave Vermersch’s Bel-Gem Waffle broad American visibility.
Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026