Chicory or Belgian endives grown in Kampenhout (Flemish Brabant) by grower Danny Schoevaerts is set to head into space soon. Belgian astronaut Liégeois, who is due to go on a space mission in October, will be taking a dish of chicory with him. Head chef Wouter Keersmaekers, who has been working with chicory from the Kampenhout grower for years, will be using some to prepare a space meal.
Danny Schoevaerts and Bieke Hoogeras have been growing chicory in Kampenhout for 46 years. Several Michelin-starred chefs use them to source their chicory. “We still work the old-fashioned way, from before hydroponics existed,” explains Schoevaerts. “We grow our own seeds, and we don’t store the chicory roots in a fridge. We also let everything grow very slowly. The slower it grows, the more intense the flavour!”
Chicory with ham and cheese
Chef Wouter Keersmaekers is one of the Kampenhout chicory farmer’s a regular customers. “European Space Agency (ESA) chose him to prepare meals for Belgian astronaut Raphaël Liégeois to take with him on his space journey to the International Space Station (ISS). The astronaut has chosen chicory with ham and cheese!”
‘It’s not something you experience every day’
At first, Schoevaerts couldn’t believe it when the head chef rang him with the news that his chicory was to be used in a space meal. ‘I got emotional at first, and then I had my doubts. It’s not something you experience every day. According to Keersmaekers, we have the best chicory. That does mean something!’