Satisfy your cravings during Flanders' annual History Night
With activities taking place across Flanders, De Nacht van de Geschiedenis invites you to explore local food traditions, some current, others long-forgotten
Taking a bite out of history
Roughly 200 activities across Flanders invite you to explore food, flavour and changing tastes throughout history. Local food traditions are a major focus, with many activities based on specialities like beer and chocolate. Take one of several brewery tours or attend one of many workshops how to pair beer and food, beer and cheese or beer and chocolate.
In Koekelare, one can learn how to prepare haring met patat in de pel (herring with jacket potatoes) and enjoy this folk recipe with a local beer and regional dessert. For the dedicated gourmand, there are exclusive culinary experiences with top chefs. Famed cooking school Ter Duinen in Koksijde is offering a three-course menu featuring “forgotten vegetables”. And in Alken, food archaeologist Jeroen van Vaerenbergh will introduce you to the foods of our ancestors.
The annual event is organised by Flemish cultural institution Davidsfonds, which chose the theme to coincide with its publication of Smaak! Een geschiedenis in 120 recepten (Taste! A History in 120 Recipes) by Ghent University historian Annelies Van Wittenberghe.
“It’s an unconventional cookbook that tells our culinary history through recipes,” explains Tine Verhelst, director of Davidsfonds. “Each recipe is based on a text from a historical cookbook.”
The author will present a handful of recipes from the book at Sint-Andries church in Antwerp, placing them in their wider economic and cultural context, along with practical tips on how to prepare them. Participants will also get to try some of the dishes and take the recipes home.
22 March across Flanders
Photo: Joachim Beuckelaer, 1564, Staatliche Museen Kassel
