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Flavors · Antuérpia
Round tartlet from Lier, in the province of Antwerp, with a crunchy sugar-free pastry and a dark filling of breadcrumbs, cane sugar syrup and spices. The name is protected by a European geographical indication.
Traditional sweet from Antuérpia
Also known as: Lierse vlaaike, Lierse vlaaikes
Click a photo to enlarge it.
Liers vlaaike — Antuérpia, Belgium
The Liers vlaaike is a small tartlet, about 3 centimetres high and 5 to 6 in diameter, that fits in the hand. The pastry is thin, tall and sugar-free, and becomes crisp in the oven. The filling, dark and tender, tastes of spices and cane sugar.
The filling is made from breadcrumbs, from stale rolls, mixed with a light cane sugar syrup, milk, a little flour and a blend of four spices: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and coriander. The mixture rests for several hours to let the bread absorb the milk. Some bakers keep part of the filling from one batch for the next to maintain a consistent flavour.
A Liersche vlaai is already mentioned around 1722, and a canon of Ghent noted a recipe before he died in 1800. The writer Felix Timmermans, born in Lier, mentions the vlaaike in 1925. Before the Second World War, the bases were shaped in small wooden molds, which are still kept in the town.
In 1999, bakers created the Orde van het Liers Vlaaike to safeguard quality, on Saint Michael’s Day, patron of bakers. The vlaaike was recognised as a Flemish regional product in 2007, and the European Union protects the name as a geographical indication: it may only be made in Lier and in Koningshooikt.
Lier is a town in the province of Antwerp, crossed by the river Nete. There the vlaaike is baked year-round, sold individually or in rolls, served at town celebrations and taken as a gift by visitors.
Antuérpia
Speciality of Lier, a town in the province of Antwerp, with a European geographical indication.
Pastry: wheat flour, butter and water, without sugar. Filling: breadcrumbs, light cane sugar syrup, milk, flour and spices (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and coriander).
At room temperature, whole, with coffee or tea. Keep in a dry place.
All year round; also at the city festivals of Lier.
Your questions
It is a tartlet from Lier, in the province of Antwerp, with a crunchy sugar-free pastry and a filling of breadcrumbs, cane sugar syrup, milk and spices. The name is protected by the European Union.
Breadcrumbs, light cane sugar syrup, milk, a little flour and four spices: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and coriander.
In the province of Antwerp, in northern Belgium, on the banks of the river Nete. The vlaaike may only be made in Lier and in Koningshooikt, which is part of the municipality.
Flavors of Belgium
Buttery cookie with almond slices, or a chocolate bonbon shaped like a hand. It recalls the legend of the hero Brabo and the giant Antigoon, which explains the name Antwerpen, and has been a city specialty since 1934.
Savory pie from Nivelles, in Walloon Brabant, made with fermented fresh cheese, chard, eggs and plenty of butter, served very hot. A local brotherhood evaluates producers and awards quality seals every year.
Rectangular waffle, light and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, served dusted with confectioners' sugar. It is the first specialty presented by Brussels official tourism and appears in Flemish paintings related to festive celebrations.
Very hard biscuit, made only of honey and wheat flour, pressed in wooden molds carved with animals, figures and views of the city. A tradition of Dinant, in the Meuse valley, it should be softened in the mouth, not bitten.
Small tart of puff pastry filled with matten, the curd of raw cow's milk, eggs and sugar. It is made in Geraardsbergen and Lierde, in the province of East Flanders, and has a protected geographical indication by the European Union.
Creamy stew from Ghent, with a broth thickened with cream, vegetables such as carrot, leek and celery, potato and chicken. The earliest versions were made with river fish, and fish still appears in some kitchens of the city.
Cooked fish, served cold in a vinegar jelly with onion, traditionally in a stoneware jar. It has a European geographical indication, produced in Chimay and in neighboring municipalities of the provinces of Hainaut and Namur.
Cereal distillate flavored with juniper and herbs, milder and sweeter than other jenever. It has a European geographical indication: it must be distilled in Hasselt, Zonhoven or Diepenbeek. The city maintains a museum of the drink in a former distillery.
Dense waffle, made from a brioche-like dough with pieces of pearl sugar that caramelize on the griddle. Rounded and without corners, it is eaten hot and without topping. According to tradition, it was created in Liège in the 18th century.
Open tart of creamy rice pudding on a thin crust, typical of Verviers in the province of Liège. Eaten warm or cold, at any time of day, often with coffee.
Round tart of thin fermented dough with a generous filling of fruit, rice pudding or cream. It is made in Belgian Limburg and Dutch Limburg, and the name is protected by a European geographical indication.
Croquette of creamy sauce with North Sea grey shrimp, breaded and fried, served with fried parsley and lemon. The Ostend version is recognized as a Flemish regional product, with rules about the shrimp’s origin and the filling.
Rabbit slowly cooked with onion, black plum and raisins, served with potato. It is the dish of the Lundi perdu dinner, the Monday after Epiphany, a Tournai tradition recognized as intangible heritage by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles.
