 A cherryvlaai | |
| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Netherlands,Belgium,Germany |
| Region or state | Limburg |
| Main ingredients | Yeast dough, fruits, berries |
Limburgse vlaai (Limburgish:vlaai,vlaoj,vla orflaai,pl.vlaaien)[1] is apastry consisting of dough and a filling, traditionally associated with the provinces of Limburg found both in theNetherlands andBelgium, as well as parts ofGermany across the border.
Variations exist throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, and areas of the German state;North Rhine-Westphalia near the border with the Netherlands. Avlaai is usually 26 – 31 centimetres in diameter.[2] It is available in many different varieties of fruit fillings, such as cherry, apricot, strawberry, and plum.[3] Other variations are a crumbled butter and sugar mix ("greumellevlaai" inLimburgish, or "kruimelvlaai" in Dutch) and a cooked rice and custard porridge (rijstevlaai).
Vlaai is often eaten on special occasions and for significant life events, particularly in the Dutch province ofLimburg, such as birthdays[4] and funerals. When eaten on the occasion of a funeral, the vlaai is typically made with black plum (Zwarte pruimenvlaai).[5][6]
There is little known about the history ofvlaaien that can be said for sure, except that they're not a purely Limburgish pastry.[citation needed]
One legend asserts thatvlaai dates back to before the 12th century. According to a mention in the chronicle of the abbey ofSint-Truiden (the extant copy dates to 1503), Duke Henry van Leuven laid siege to the city (located in modern-dayBelgium in 1189. "Honest and prudent eunuchs and burghers of the town" offered him "plăcintă" (as it was rendered in medieval Latin) that was baked following old local recipes. Supposedly, this persuaded Henry to give up the siege.[7] "Placenta" is equated with the Middle Dutch word "vlade"[8] but the legend is not otherwise verified, nor can it be certain exactly what baked goods might have been offered.
The "manuscript Gent KANTL", a Middle Dutch cookbook from the 15th century, lists several fillings forvlade which resemble fillings of either fruit or custard, as well as ahot water crust pastry recipe forvlade. It is not clear from the text alone whether thevlade recipes would have been put in a crust and one of them specifically mentions filling a bowl;vla in modern Dutch refers to flan or pudding. However, it also lists pies (tarten) with apple or cherry filling that are specifically baked in bread (broot), which bear a stronger resemblance to modernvlaai.[9]
Until the mid-20th centuryvlaai was considered a luxury item in Limburg that would only be eaten during celebrations. In the countryside they were almost always baked by the people themselves, usually in traditionalbakehouses. Thevlaaien would be served in the afternoon, during the coffee break, with usually two or three different slices per person. Because of the growing economic prosperity after the Second World War, people started eating them more often.[citation needed]
Vlaaien began to be more widely known outside of Limburg during the late 19th century, mostly because of growing tourism in Dutch southern Limburg. Many tourists tookvlaai back home from local bakers. In 1986 the firstvlaaien shop opened inAmsterdam. The sale ofvlaaien by several supermarket chains also helped in popularizing the pastry. Maria Hubertina Hendrix, also known as "Antje van de Stasie", also helped spread the popularity outside of Limburg. In the early 20th century she sold herWeerter vlaaitjes at the train station inWeert, this caused the pastry to become well known by travelers from all over the Netherlands. After a while, theWeerter vlaaien were also sold inNijmegen.[citation needed]
On 17 November 2022, the Netherlands and Belgium applied for protection of the designationLimburgse vlaai as aProtected Geographical Indication (PGI) in the European Union,[10] which was granted starting 22 January 2024.[11]
