Couque de Dinant facts for kids
The Couque de Dinant (which means "Cake of Dinant" in English) is a very hard and sweet biscuit. It is a traditional cookie from the city of Dinant in southern Belgium, located in the Wallonia region.
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How Couques are Made
Simple Ingredients
Couques are made using just three ingredients: wheat, flour, and honey. An equal amount of each ingredient is mixed together. Nothing else is added, not even water or yeast.
Shaping and Baking
The dough is pressed into special wooden molds. These molds are carved from pear trees, walnut trees, or beech trees. The molds come in many fun shapes. You can find couques shaped like animals, flowers, people, or even landscapes.
The biscuits are baked in a very hot oven, around 300 °C (575 °F), for about 15 minutes. This high heat makes the honey turn into caramel. As the biscuit cools down, it becomes extremely hard.
Lasting a Long Time
Because they are so hard, Couques de Dinant can last forever! They don't spoil, so people often use them as decorations. You might see them hanging on Christmas trees or displayed to remember special events.
There is also a slightly different type called the couque de Rins. This version has sugar added to the dough. It is usually sweeter and a bit softer than the original Couque de Dinant.
How to Enjoy a Couque
You can't really bite into a Couque de Dinant because they are so large and hard. Instead, you need to break them into smaller pieces. These pieces can then be bitten, sucked, or allowed to melt slowly in your mouth. Some people also like to dip them in coffee to soften them.
Historically, Couques de Dinant were even given to babies. The hard biscuit helped babies during teething by giving them something firm to gnaw on.
When They are Popular
Bakeries in Dinant sell a lot of couques during the summer. This is because many tourists visit the city then. However, the most popular time for couques is around Saint Nicholas Day in December. At this time of year, these special biscuits are sold and enjoyed all over Belgium.
The History of Couques
A Popular Story
There's a well-known story about how couques began. It says that in 1466, the city of Dinant was attacked by Charles the Bold during the Liège Wars. The people were supposedly very hungry and had only flour and honey left. They mixed these ingredients to make a dough. Because the dough was so hard, they realized they could make beautiful ornaments from it. This led to the tradition of decorating the biscuits with patterns. However, this story is probably just a legend.
More Likely Origins
It is more likely that the Couque de Dinant first appeared sometime in the 18th century. The exact details of how it was invented are not fully clear.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Couque de Dinant para niños
