Narrator: AT SOME POINT
MANY CENTURIES AGO,
THE THIN, COMMUNION-STYLE WAFER
TOOK A DELICIOUS TWIST
WITH THE CREATION
OF THE ROLLED WAFER COOKIE.
THE EXACT ORIGIN OF THIS
TUBULAR TREAT ISN'T KNOWN,
BUT IT HAS BEEN TRACED BACK
TO SYRIAN CHRISTIAN PASTRY
MAKERS DURING THE MIDDLE AGES.
LONG AND ELEGANT, THE ROLLED
WAFER IS ONE CLASSY COOKIE.
IT'S CRISPY ON THE OUTSIDE
AND CREAMY AT THE CORE
FOR A SWEET FUSION
OF FLAVOR AND TEXTURE.
IT COULD BE SERVED AS A GARNISH
FOR THE MAIN DESSERT
OR ON ITS OWN.
IT IS, OF COURSE,
A MATTER OF TASTE.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE ROLLED WAFER
INCLUDE FLOUR, SUGAR,
COCOA POWDER, WHEY POWDER,
MILK POWDER, AND DARK CHOCOLATE.
THERE ARE 20 INGREDIENTS
IN TOTAL.
THEY LOAD EACH ONE
INTO A SEPARATE BIN.
THE BINS ALL FUNNEL INTO ONE OF
TWO BIG MIXERS ONE FLOOR BELOW.
ONE MIXER
BLENDS THE WAFER BATTER,
AND THE OTHER
PREPARES THE CREAM FILLING.
A CENTRAL COMPUTER
CONTROLS THE FLOW
FROM THE BINS TO THE MIXERS.
IT MEASURES AND RELEASES
THE INGREDIENTS
TO FOLLOW THE RECIPE EXACTLY.
THE COMPUTER ALSO ASSIGNS
A LOT NUMBER TO EACH BATCH,
SO IF THERE'S A PROBLEM
WITH THE PRODUCT,
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TRACK
THE SOURCE AND FIX IT.
DOWN BELOW, IN THE WAFER MIXER,
THE BATTER
IS LOOKING PRETTY SMOOTH.
THEY'RE AIMING FOR A CONSISTENCY
THAT'S SIMILAR
TO PANCAKE BATTER.
A WORKER SCOOPS UP SOME
TO CHECK IT.
TOO RUNNY OR TOO THICK,
AND THE WAFER WON'T HAVE
THE RIGHT CRUNCH.
THE BATCH IS JUST RIGHT.
THE WAFER BATTER NOW FLOWS
ONTO FOUR METAL PLATES
THAT SPREAD IT
ONTO AN IMMENSE ROTATING WHEEL,
CREATING FOUR
VERY THIN RIBBONS OF BATTER.
GAS FLAMES HEAT THE WHEEL
TO 300 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT
TO TOAST THE BATTER STRIPS.
AT THIS HIGH TEMPERATURE,
THE TOASTED PASTRY
HAS YET TO CRISP UP.
IT'S SOFT AND FLEXIBLE,
WHICH MEANS IT'S READY TO ROLL.
COMING OFF THE WHEEL,
THE WAFER PASTRY WINDS
AROUND A REVOLVING MANDRILL
AND QUICKLY COOLS, GENERATING
A CONTINUOUS WAFER ROLL.
THE CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT
CREAM FILLING
IS LOOKING DELICIOUS BY NOW,
AND MACHINERY
PUMPS IT THROUGH A HOLE
IN THE WAFER-FORMING MANDRILL.
AS THE WAFER TAKES SHAPE,
THE MANDRILL
PUMPS THE CREAM INTO IT.
THIS MECHANIZED SYSTEM
IS FASTER THAN HAND-ROLLING,
AND THE WAFERS IT GENERATES
ARE MORE UNIFORM.
THE LONG, ROLLED WAFER
NOW SPINS OFF THE MANDRILL
AND HEADS INTO A TUNNEL.
INSIDE, A LITTLE AX SWINGS DOWN
TO CHOP IT
INTO WAFER-SIZED PIECES.
THE ROLLED WAFER EXITS
ONTO A SLIDE
AND MAKES A GENTLE LANDING
ONTO A CONVEYOR.
THE CREAM INSIDE THE COOKIE
IS STILL FLUID,
AND THE PASTRY ITSELF
IS STILL SOMEWHAT PLIABLE.
THE NEXT STAGE OF PRODUCTION
WILL SOLIDIFY EVERYTHING.
IT'S A TRIP
THROUGH A COOLING TUNNEL.
ON THIS STAGE OF THE JOURNEY,
THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF
THE ROLLED WAFER
CRYSTALLIZE TO THEIR FINAL FORM,
AND THEY EMERGE CRISPY ENOUGH
TO BE HANDLED BY THE EMPLOYEES.
THEY IDENTIFY ANY DAMAGED WAFERS
AND DISCARD THEM
AS THEY ARRANGE THE COOKIES
FOR PACKAGING.
THIS MEANS COMPARTMENTALIZING
THEM IN GROUPS
ON A SLOTTED CONVEYOR.
AFTER THAT, THE LITTLE STACKS
OF ROLLED WAFERS
TRAVEL THROUGH
A CURTAIN OF PLASTIC.
MACHINERY
CUTS AND HEAT-SEALS THE WRAPPING
IN THIS COMPLETELY AUTOMATED
PACKAGING SYSTEM.
THE PLASTIC
WILL KEEP THE WAFERS FRESH,
BUT IT WON'T PROTECT THEM
FROM BREAKAGE.
THAT'S THE JOB OF THE METAL CAN.
AFTER AN INK-JET-LIKE DEVICE
PRINTS THE FRESHNESS CODE
ON THE BOTTOM,
THE CANS RIDE A MAGNETIZED WHEEL
WHICH FLIPS THEM
TO AN UPRIGHT POSITION.
A WORKER THEN FILLS EACH CAN
WITH THE PLASTIC-ENCASED WAFERS
AND PUTS A LID ON THE TOP.
MODERN MANUFACTURING
HAS REVOLUTIONIZED THE MAKING
OF THESE ROLLED WAFERS.
ONCE INDIVIDUALLY
ROLLED AND BAKED BY HAND,
MACHINERY NOW DOES
MOST OF THE WORK,
PRODUCING MORE THAN 100,000
ROLLED WAFERS PER HOUR.
BUT, OF COURSE, THE TASTE
IS STILL ALL ABOUT TRADITION.
