Sirop de Liège facts for kids
Sirop de Liège (pronounced see-roh duh lee-ezh) is a special fruit spread from Belgium. It's a bit like a thick jam or jelly. People in Belgium call it Sirop de Liège in French and Luikse siroop in Flemish.
This yummy spread is mostly made from apples and pears. Sometimes, dates are added too. Other fruits like apricot can also be used. The best part is that it usually doesn't need extra sugar!
Contents
How Sirop de Liège is Made
Making Sirop de Liège takes a lot of time and care. First, the fruit is cooked very slowly. It cooks until it becomes soft and falls apart. This process helps release a natural thickener called pectin from the fruit skins.
Next, the cooked fruit is pushed through a special strainer. This removes the skins and turns the fruit into a smooth mush. Then, this mush is cooked again, slowly, for many hours. This cooking process reduces the liquid, making the syrup thick. It becomes thick in the same way jam does. Makers test it by dropping a small piece into cold water to see if it sets. Usually, you need about 6 to 8 kilograms of fruit to make just 1 kilogram of this delicious syrup!
Where Sirop de Liège Comes From
As its name suggests, Sirop de Liège comes from the Liège region in Belgium. This area is known for its fruit farms. Long ago, many people in this region made this syrup.
Today, most syrup makers are found in a part of Liège called the Pays de Herve. This area is in the northeast of the province. The biggest company that makes Sirop de Liège is called Meurens. They are located in a town called Aubel. Meurens makes a lot of syrup, about 2,000 tonnes every year! Their famous brand is called Vrai Sirop de Liège or Echte Luikse stroop. There are also smaller, local makers like Charlier in Henri-Chapelle and Delvaux in Horion-Hozémont.
Delicious Ways to Enjoy Sirop de Liège
The most common way to eat Sirop de Liège is as a spread. People often put it on a slice of bread, called a tartine. It tastes great with cheese, especially local cheeses like Herve cheese. Sometimes, it's eaten with a fresh cheese called maquée. This combination makes a dish known as stron d'Poye.
Sirop de Liège is also used in many different dishes. It can be a sauce for pancakes, like the Belgian boûkète. It's also drizzled over lacquemant waffles. You can find it in the sauce for a cooked pear dessert called cûtès Peûres.
Believe it or not, this fruit syrup is even used in meat dishes! It's a key ingredient in the sauce for boulets à la Liégeoise, which are meatballs from Liège. It's also used in a rabbit dish called lapin à la liégeoise.
Similar Fruit Spreads Around the World
- Apple butter: Sirop de Liège is a bit like apple butter. However, Sirop de Liège always includes pears and often other fruits too.
- Appelstroop: This is a similar spread from the Netherlands. It is usually made only with apples, without pears.
- Birnenhonig: This is a pear juice spread from Switzerland.
- Nièr beurre (Black butter): This spread from Jersey is made from apples and spices.
- Vin cuit: Another Swiss reduction, similar in how it's made.
