Data from the recipe app associated with chef Jeroen Meus’s hit TV series “Dagelijkse Kost” (Daily Fare) reveal that today Flemish people seem more taken by pasta dishes than traditional Flemish beef stew and Belgian fries. Pasta dishes are the recipes most keenly searched on the app.
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Has spaghetti bolognaise overtaken beef stew as the Fleming’s favourite dish?
Colin Clapson
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Food history expert Yves Segers is not surprised: “A pasta dish is quickly made and it’s great comfort food. Moreover, from an historical perspective it fits in perfectly with our Flemish eating habits”.
Yves is co-ordinator at Leuven University’s Centre for Agrarian History. He points to the versatile nature of pasta that can always be prepared in a version that is to your taste.
“Traditionally Flemish fare consists of three basic components: potatoes, vegetables and meat. After the Second World War the Flemish also adopted pasta. It’s a dish that the Flemish have been keen to adapt and combine with vegetables and meat".
Pasta arrived on urban dining tables as early as the Thirties. The arrival of Italian migrant workers, especially in Limburg and Liege provinces, triggered a breakthrough. “To start off with the Flemish eyed Italian food with great reluctance, but that changed as we became more familiar with our new Italian neighbours and even visited Italy".
Dietician Michaël Sels is a fan of whole grain pasta: “It’s means you’re getting more fibre and you will feel satisfied after eating a smaller portion. Many people soon feel hungry after a portion of white spaghetti because it digests so easily. Also try to ensure vegetables fill half your plate. That is sometimes a challenge with pasta!”