Six traditional delicacies recognised as ‘regional products’
Five baked goods and the Ostend oyster have been awarded the Streekproduct label, which means they’re Flanders’ official regional products with long-standing traditions
On food and drink in Flanders
The Adriaan Brouwer Tart, from Oudenaarde, East Flanders, dates back to the 1950s, and is a tribute to the 17th-century painter from the area, whose name is also commemorated in beer and other products. The tart (pictured) is a type of frangipane with the addition of pineapple. It exists in oval form, serving six to ten people, and in individual portions, but, for special occasions, can also be baked in larger sizes.
To be awarded the Streekproduct (Regional Product) label, the product must be produced locally according to a long-held tradition. The Bakkemoezevlaai tart from Limburg takes its name from the bakkemoezen – pears that were dried in the baker's cooling oven after the bread had been baked.
The style was revived in 2014 by baker Jack Knapen in Bocholt, at the request of TV chef Jeroen Meus. Knapen's family has guarded the recipe for the tart since the 1880s.
Open-faced vlaaien tarts are a tradition across Flanders, and the Gentse Vlaai is an example of one reserved for special occasions. It exists in two versions – with and without raisins – and is baked on a light base spiced with gingerbread and speculoos spices. Its dark colour comes from candy sugar.
No English-name exists for geuteling, a type of oven-baked pancake that was revived by a youth organisation in Elst, East Flanders. It consists of flour, eggs, yeast, a pinch of salt and cinnamon, but traditionalists insist on the aroma of the wood-fired oven. Tradition also demands that they be warmed up in a pan and eaten the day after they're made.
The mattentart of Geraardsbergen is a familiar sight across Flanders and Brussels, and has even been commemorated by its own postage stamp. Matten means milk curdled with vinegar and mixed with buttermilk, eggs, sugar and almond essence.
Finally, the list also includes the Ostend oyster, the only non-pastry to make the cut this time around. Although oysters were grown in Flanders as far back as the 18th century, today the trade is dominated by imports, primarily from the Dutch region of Zeeland. The revival began in 1995, and oysters from the Spuikom reservoir in Ostend are now beginning to be produced in greater numbers.
Photo courtesy Vlam
