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Flavors · Limburgo
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.
Traditional sweet from Limburgo
Also known as: vlaai, Limburgse vlaaien
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Limburgse vlaai — Limburgo, Belgium
The Limburgers sum up the vlaai in a saying: dun van leer, dik van smeer, thin dough and generous filling. The base is a fermented, light dough, at most one centimeter thick after baking; on top goes a generous layer of filling, often covered with a lattice of dough or a sweet crumble.
Classic fillings are cherry, apricot, plum, apple, rice pudding and gooseberry, and there are also custard, semolina, fresh cheese or sugar-and-egg versions. Each type of vlaai has its own rules. Whipped cream added after baking is not part of the recipe.
The tradition goes back at least to the 12th century. At first, vlaai was a luxury reserved for feast days, baked on farms; over time it moved to bakeries and became part of daily life in the region.
The name Limburgse vlaai has a protected geographical indication from the European Union, requested jointly by Belgium and the Netherlands. Only bakers from Belgian Limburg and Dutch Limburg may use the name, and the vlaai must be round, 10 to 30 centimetres in diameter.
In Limburg, vlaai appears at celebrations, family visits and at afternoon coffee, always fresh, bought at the day’s bakery. Local variants, such as bakkemoezenvlaai, also have recognition as regional products.
Limburgo
European geographical indication of Belgian Limburg (and Dutch Limburg); only bakers from the two provinces may use the name.
Thin fermented dough; filling of fruit (cherry, apricot, plum, apple, gooseberry), rice pudding, custard, semolina, fresh cheese or sugar-and-egg; optional topping of dough lattice or sweet crumble.
In slices, fresh, with coffee, at room temperature. It is not served with whipped cream on top.
Festive occasions and family visits; year-round, with coffee.
Your questions
It is a round tart of thin fermented dough with a generous filling of fruit, rice pudding or custard, traditional to Belgian Limburg and Dutch Limburg. The name is protected by the European Union.
The classics are cherry, apricot, plum, apple, rice pudding and gooseberry; there are also custard, semolina, fresh cheese and sugar-and-egg vlaai.
Both: it is a tradition of both Limburg provinces, Belgian and Dutch, which jointly requested European protection of the name.
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.
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.
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.
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.
