Sweet, fruit, cheese or savoury, the pastries of our region are among the highlights of Walloon gastronomy.
The recipes have scarcely over the years: big or small, they are always round and packed with different flavours.
Sweet versus Savoury
The best-known specialties are the rice tart from Verviers, the sugar tart from the Chaumont-Gistoux region and the famous tarte al Djote - with chard and cheese - from Nivelles. Their recipes are carefully guarded by the presidents of the guilds who honor them.
Wherever you wander in Wallonia, you’ll always find a boulangerie along the way, so you can decide for yourself whether you prefer the sweet ones to the savoury ones.
Rice tart: the doyen of Walloon pastries
The first reference to this tart appears in a cookery book dating from 1604 (entitled Ouverture de Cuisine – Opening the Kitchen, by Lancelot de Casteau, for all you history fans out there).
In the Verviers region, you’ll find the biggest rice tarts, with the tempting optional extra of a macaroon topping.
For those with a sweet tooth
Sweet tarts can be found in the Hainaut and Brabant regions, with perhaps the best of them to be found in the town of .
And another ideal place to try them is for lunch on the run at the foot of the collegiate church in Nivelles.
Sweet or savoury, the choice is yours.
