Witloof met Hesp en Kaas is a signature dish of Belgium; we have verified places to eat it in Bruges. Start with where to eat Witloof met Hesp en Kaas in Bruges.
Witloof met Hesp en Kaas · Bruges
Belgium's national winter vegetable dish: whole heads of Belgian endive (witloof) braised, then wrapped in ham, blanketed in bechamel sauce and grated Gruyere, and baked until the top is bubbling gold.
Belgian endive (witloof in Flemish, chicons in French) was discovered in Brussels in the 1830s when farmer Jan Lammers stored chicory roots in his dark cellar and noticed pale shoots growing from the buried roots. Belgian growers refined the technique through the 19th century to produce the canonical pale spear-shaped vegetable; today over 90 percent of global endive production is in Belgium. The classic preparation (witloof met hesp en kaas, or chicon au gratin) appeared in late 19th-century Belgian cookbooks. Bruges spots like Den Amand and Brasserie Cambrinus run reliable versions.
Where to eat in Bruges:
- Den Amand
- Bistro Refter
- Gran Kaffee De Passage
- De Republiek
Where to eat Witloof met Hesp en Kaas in Bruges: the editor picks