Bite: Eel month

“Sente”, or Sint-Laureins, is home to the Sentse creeks, which were once brimming with freshwater eel. The rural town is inseparable from the eel tradition. Here eel fishing was done with typical flat-bottom boats and wide nets and people came to the area from all over Flanders to enjoy eel dishes. When this tradition threatened to disappear forever, some local chefs got together to put Sint-Laureins back on the culinary map.

They wanted to do something about the dwindling number of eel in the creeks, and so stocked them with a fresh supply of young eel, or elvers. Thanks to this, eel can again be enjoyed in numerous restaurants during the winter months, and especially in October.

Just last year, Meetjesland pickled eel was recognised as an official streekproduct, or regional product, by the Centre for Agricultural and Fisheries Marketing (Vlam). Because eel was once so abundant in the creeks, fishermen often brought home more than they knew what to do with. Pickling, the only way to preserve the catch, was traditionally done in stone jars and the results kept in the cellar. Local chefs and Vlam have brought new attention to this important piece of culinary heritage.

In Sint-Laureins, you can not only go for a delicious meal of eel prepared in a number of ways (smoked, pickled, fried, in beer, cream or green sauce…), but you can also participate in eel-themed walks and bike rides; ask the tourist office of Sint-Laureins for a map.