A boûkète (
Walloon; also spelled ''bouquette'' in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
) is a type of
Belgian
Belgian may refer to:
* Something of, or related to, Belgium
* Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent
* Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German
*Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...
pancake
A pancake (or hotcake, griddlecake, or flapjack) is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter that may contain eggs, milk and butter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan, often frying wit ...
made with
buckwheat flour
Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as ''Fagopy ...
, pan-fried in
lard
Lard is a semi-solid white fat product obtained by rendering the fatty tissue of a pig.[Lard]
entry in the ...
and frequently embellished with
raisin
A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the d ...
s. Boûkètes may be eaten hot or cold, garnished with a local brown sugar known as ''cassonade'' or with
sirop de Liège
(French for ''Liège syrup'', in Flemish) is a Belgian jam or jelly-like spread. Apple and pear are principally used, often with dates: other fruit such as apricot can be used as well. Sugar and other sweeteners are not normally needed.
Cor ...
.
The name derives from the
Dutch-language
Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after its close relatives German and English. ''Afrikaans' ...
word ''boekweit'' ("buckwheat") and is attested with that meaning in the early 17th century, before being used to refer to the pancake itself: a usage first recorded in 1743. The original name for pancake in Wallonia is "vôte", but now boûkète is used to described this specific type of pancake.
''Bo(u)quettes'' were first introduced to the city of
Liège in the 18th century, imported by the court of the
Prince-Bishops from the
County of Loon
The County of Loon ( , , ) was a county in the Holy Roman Empire, which corresponded approximately with the Belgian province of Limburg. It was named after the original seat of its count, Loon, which is today called Borgloon. During the middle a ...
and the district around
Tongeren
Tongeren (; french: Tongres ; german: Tongern ; li, Tóngere ) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the on ...
in
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
. By the end of the 19th century the pancakes had become a Liège speciality.
Boûkètes are traditionally eaten accompanied by
mulled wine
Mulled wine, also known as spiced wine, is an alcoholic drink usually made with red wine, along with various mulling spices and sometimes raisins, served hot or warm. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. It is us ...
during the Christmas season, and are also honoured at the festival of the "Free Republic of Outre-Meuse" held in Liège on 15 August each year.
See also
*
List of pancakes
This is a list of notable pancakes. A pancake is a flat cake, often thin and round, prepared from a starch-based batter and cooked on a hot surface such as a griddle or frying pan. In Britain, pancakes are often unleavened, and resemble a crêp ...
*
Bibliography
* Maurice Piron, « À propose de l'introduction de la boukète à Liège », in revue ''La Vie Wallonne'', n° 21, 1947
* Roger Pinon, « La boûkète liégeoise et les crêpes à la farine de sarrasin en Wallonie », in ''La Vie Wallonne'', n° 52, 1978
Belgian cuisine
Culture in Liège
Pancakes
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