Lokerse paardenworst facts for kids
The Lokerse paardenworst (which means Lokeren horse sausage) is a special food from the Belgian city of Lokeren. It's a dish made from minced horse meat, shaped into sausages. These sausages are served in a delicious sauce. The sauce often includes tomato purée or peeled tomatoes, onion, celery, and herbs like bay leaf, pepper, and salt. It's cooked with butter or oil.
In 2007, the Lokerse horse sausage was officially recognized. It became a "Flemish regional product" by a group called VLAM. This means it's a unique food from the Flanders region of Belgium. People are now working to get it recognized as a special regional product across all of Europe.
The Story of Lokerse Horse Sausage
More than a hundred years ago, Lokerse horse sausage was a very important meal. It was especially helpful during tough times when food was scarce. Horse meat was affordable for everyone. It often came from horses that had worked hard on farms, in the Antwerp harbor, or in coal mines. Sometimes, it was mixed with meat brought in from the United States.
Around the late 1800s, many people in Lokeren faced unemployment and poverty. The horse sausage was a perfect solution for those who didn't have much money. It was both cheap to buy and full of nutrients. There were also many places in the Waasland area that prepared horse meat. The tougher parts of the meat were made into these sausages. Because the sausage could be quite dry, people started adding a tasty tomato sauce to it.
Fun Facts About Lokerse Paardenworst
In 2009, a comic book album from the famous Urbanus series was named Lokerse paardenworsten.
