Gastronomy
The Voer-region, a region of Burgundian traditions … – … taste the lokal specialties !
The Voer-region does not only have a unique landscape on offer but also numerous culinary surprises and regional products. For some examples see below.
Voerdrupke blackthorn gin or sleedoornjenever
The ‘Voerdrupke mit Sjlieëkreke’ is a light aperitive gin of 22° which is distilled with the extract of blackthorn plums which are picked in Voeren.
The prickly blackthorn (prunus spinosa) is found in the Voer region along woods, gullies and along roads. It flowers very early in the year and therefore its tenderly white blossom provides numerous insects with the first food of the year. In autumn the bush produces the round, blue and terribly wry (”sleeuwe”) prunes, the ”sjlieëkreek”. The Voeren dialect also has the expression “sjlieë täng”: the sensation your teeth produce after eating a sour apple, rhubarb or….sleeuwe prunes. The successful combination of Limburg gin and the outspoken Voeren fruit provides us with a true delicacy.
The Voeren blackthorn gin or sleedoornjenever can be bought in flasks of 20 cl for € 5,90 and in decorative bottles of 70 cl for € 13,90. The stone jar of 70cl is € 14,50.
A tip !
Serve the “Voerdrupke” in a brandy glass with some ice cubes, as an aperitive, as hair of the dog, as just something in between or …..if you just feel like something ”delicious”!
The Voerdrupke is for sale at the Visitors’ Centre in ‘s-Gravenvoeren
The Voeren platz
This cake is in fact a variation on the ”loaves” that were known under the name of cougnoulx or couglou in Wallonia in the Middle Ages.
Ingredients : 1.500 grammes of. flour, 60 gr. yeast, 525 ml lukewarm milk, 5 soup spoons of honey (approx 90 gr.), 50 gr. ground almands, 5 eggs, 300 gr. butter, 150 gr. margarine, 150 gr. lard (together 600 gr fatty ingredients), 30 gr salt, 650 gr granulated sugar (nr. 5).
Preparation: use half of the milk to dissolve the yeast. Then add 500 gr of flour, together with the honey and the ground almands. Leave this ”pre-dough” for approx. one hour. Then add the remaining milk, flour, eggs and butter. Knead firmly. Salt is not added until the very end. Put the dough for three hours in a cool place, covered with a moist cloth. Add 650 gr of granulated sugar (add lightly, do not knead). Distribute the dough and let it rise in buttered cake tins (approx 45 minutes). The platz is baked in 30 minutes at a reasonably high oven temperature. Enjoy!