Vlaai

Limburgse vlaai(Limburgish:vlaai,vlaoj,vlaorflaai,pl.vlaaien)is apastryconsisting of dough and a filling, traditionally associated with the provinces of Limburg found both in theNetherlandsandBelgium, as well as parts ofGermanyacross the border.
Variations exist throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, and areas of the German state;North Rhine-Westphalianear the border with the Netherlands. Avlaaiis usually 26 – 31 centimetres in diameter.It is available in many different varieties of fruit fillings, such as cherry, apricot, strawberry, and plum.Other variations are a crumbled butter and sugar mix ("greumellevlaai" inLimburgish, or "kruimelvlaai" in Dutch) and a cooked rice and custard porridge (rijstevlaai).
Vlaaiis often eaten on special occasions and for significant life events, particularly in the Dutch province ofLimburg, such as birthdaysand funerals. When eaten on the occasion of a funeral, the vlaai is typically made with black plum (Zwarte pruimenvlaai).
There is little known about the history ofvlaaienthat can be said for sure, except that they're not a purely Limburgish pastry.
One legend asserts thatvlaaidates back to before the 12th century. According to a mention in the chronicle of the abbey ofSint-Truiden(the extant copy dates to 1503), Duke Henry van Leuven laid siege to the city (located in modern-dayBelgiumin 1189. "Honest and prudent eunuchs and burghers of the town" offered him "plăcintă" (as it was rendered in medieval Latin) that was baked following old local recipes. Supposedly, this persuaded Henry to give up the siege."Placenta" is equated with the Middle Dutch word "vlade"but the legend is not otherwise verified, nor can it be certain exactly what baked goods might have been offered.
The "manuscript Gent KANTL", a Middle Dutch cookbook from the 15th century, lists several fillings forvladewhich resemble fillings of either fruit or custard, as well as ahot water crust pastryrecipe forvlade. It is not clear from the text alone whether thevladerecipes would have been put in a crust and one of them specifically mentions filling a bowl;vlain modern Dutch refers to flan or pudding. However, it also lists pies (tarten) with apple or cherry filling that are specifically baked in bread (broot), which bear a stronger resemblance to modernvlaai.
Until the mid-20th centuryvlaaiwas considered a luxury item in Limburg that would only be eaten during celebrations. In the countryside they were almost always baked by the people themselves, usually in traditionalbakehouses. Thevlaaienwould be served around four in the afternoon during the coffee break, with usually two or three different slices per person. Because of the growing economic prosperity after the second World War, people started eating them more often.
Vlaaienbegan to be more widely known outside of Limburg during the late 19th century, mostly because of growing tourism in Dutch Southern Limburg. Many tourists tookvlaaiback home from local bakers. In 1986 the firstvlaaienshop opened inAmsterdam. The selling ofvlaaienby several supermarket chains also helped in popularizing the pastry.Maria Hubertina Hendrix, also known as "Antje van de Stasie", also helped spread the popularity outside of Limburg. In the early 20th century she sold herWeerter vlaaitjesat the train station inWeert, and this caused the pastry to become well known by travellers from all over the Netherlands. After a while, theWeerter vlaaienwere also sold inNijmegen. She has had a statue in Weert since 1988.
On 17 November 2022, the Netherlands and Belgium applied for protection of the designationLimburgse vlaaias aProtected Geographical Indication(PGI) in the European Union,which was granted starting 22 January 2024.