Signature Dessert in Ghent: Waffles

Brussels waffles in Ghent

‘Waffle’ by Jeremy Keith. Creative Commons Attribution licence

A sure-fire way to tell natives from tourists is how they order waffles. Locals never order them consume these sweet snacks with whipped cream, chocolate or other elaborate toppings (except sometimes fruit). Instead, a Brussels waffle – a large, light rectangle with 20 ‘squares’, usually eaten in tearooms and brasseries – is traditionally buttered and sprinkled only with icing sugar.

Etablissement Max is an elegant brasserie run by Yves Van Maldeghem whose entrepreneurial family started out with a mobile waffle stall at a fair. Yves bakes waffles using his family’s 120-year old waffle irons, and also makes pancakes and sizzling apple fritters. To bake your own, pick up Jan Gheysens’ Belgian Waffles and Other Treats here, which contains Yves’ family recipes.