FOODIE TREATS: CUBERDONS LEOPOLD
There are certain flavours that evoke happy memories whether it’s our past travels, gatherings with loved ones or our childhood. I still remember the first time I got to taste a cuberdon. After spending a couple of months trying to figure out my way around Brussels, I decided it was high time I discovered a bit more of Belgium and started taking day trips on weekends. It was my very first visit to Ghent and after going for a boat tour around the canals, I headed to the local food market. As I wandered from one food stall to another, I noticed a huge basket filled with violet, cone-shaped candies. The lady behind the counter kindly offered me one with a broad smile, amused at the fact that I’d never seen these sweet treats before. It’s a cuberdon, she said, but we also call it neus (nose in Dutch). It did look weird but as always, I was excited to try something new (blame it on the foodie bug!). And you know what? It actually tasted really special, like nothing I had ever tried before.
Cuberdons are crispy on the outside and filled with a soft raspberry suryp that melts in your mouth after the first bite. It was created around the same time Léopold I, the first King of Belgium, signed the Belgian Constitution of independence in 1831. Ever since other Belgian sweets, like chocolate and waffles, have become famous worldwide but somehow cuberdons have remained off foodies’ radar – probably due to the fact that the exact recipe remains to date a secret. They’re also quite sensitive as they must be typically consumed within no more than 3 weeks from production before they crystallize. If only they lasted that long when I’m around *sigh*!
Good things are meant to be shared though, so whenever I visit my best friend in Geneva I always bring her a box of Cuberdons Léopold as a gift because she simply loves them. Not only the packaging is pretty but I also like the fact that the box featured in the pictures below contains 21 handmade cuberdons as a reference to the Belgian National Day on the 21st of July. Just last week I also tried the vanilla marshmallows which were so soft and fragrant that it was like taking a bite of mini scented clouds. If you love cuberdons too or are keen on trying them, you can find Cuberdons Leopold in Rob or online at their e-shop. Madame Chapeau also happens to make the best cuberdon ice cream I’ve ever had.
A big thanks to Cuberdons Leopold for sending me these goodies – it’s always the best feeling to relive happy memories from that sunny day in Flanders!
