What the world calls a 'Belgian Waffle' is actually based on the 'Brussels Waffle.' It gained international fame at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair and was later introduced to Americans at the 1964 New York World's Fair by Maurice Vermersch. Originally served with whipped cream and strawberries, the 'Belgian' name was a marketing choice because Vermersch felt many Americans didn't know where Brussels was. There are actually two distinct types of waffles in Belgium: the Brussels waffle, which is light, airy, and rectangular, and the Liège waffle, which is denser, rounded, and contains chunks of pearl sugar that caramelize during cooking. The lightness of the Brussels version comes from using yeast or whipped egg whites to create a leavened batter with high air content.