Do: 7x snacking at Gent Smaakt food festival
I have a suggestion for word of the year: sneukelen. Not snorkeling, not perishing, but sneukelen. It’s only used in Ghent and the surrounding area and means snacking. Both the kind of snacking ‘out and about’ and the kind where ‘I eat a little of this, I eat a little of that.’ I’m in Ghent for the latter. At the culinary festival ‘Gent Smaakt’, to be precise.
There, you can sample the dishes of around twenty restaurants and caterers (hereafter: snack). Ideal if you’re only in Ghent for a short time, because you:
– don’t put all your eggs in one basket, so goodbye decision stress.
– don’t have to race from one place to another because everything is simply gathered together. A kind of open-air restaurant in the middle of the city, then. Super cozy.
– won’t spend a fortune: entry is free and you snack on small portions everywhere.
– immediately get to taste the best and most authentic food in Ghent.
– know exactly where you’d like to eat more extensively on your next visit to Ghent.
In good international Flemish, we call that WINNING.
Still no time (or desire) to try everything? I picked out the seven stands for you that shouldn’t be missing from your ‘Gent Smaakt snack tour’:
St. Raphaël
Starting with a delicious aperitif is always a good idea. Especially when it’s this French, slightly bitter mix with tonic. Delicious, refreshing and not too sweet. Great. Bonus: the bartender puts on a little show for everyone.
Würst
Okay, the drawings on the food truck and terms like ‘haute dog’ make you believe you’re eating hot dogs here, but that’s not what I’d call them. The vegetarian, seitan-like sausages (they also have ones made with organic meat) are crispy and very juicy, served in a deliciously fresh-baked, crunchy bun. You can go fully vegetarian, but there are also versions with bacon (called ‘Bacon Bearnaise’) or prosciutto (called Bellucci). And if you’re thinking: ‘(Veggie) sausage with pesto, is that any good?’ The answer is: absolutely.
Balls & Glory
In the mood for a substantial snack? This is where you need to be. Wim Ballieu’s Flemish meatballs are made with meat (pork or chicken) from their own farm. Vegetarian? Then go for the risotto ball with eggplant, mozzarella and tomato. Also fun: during the festival, Wim gives children a workshop on rolling meatballs.
Oats Day Long
Brother and sister Anse and Ewout of Oats Day Long prove that a bowl of oatmeal can be so much more than breakfast. How about Tom Kha K’Oats with oat groats, red curry, mushrooms, chicken, cashews and cilantro? Or spring ‘risoatto’ made with oat groats, green asparagus, peas, Parmesan, marinated radishes, sesame and red onion? Believe me: try it oat!
Commotie
Sure, all those festival-food-style stands are fun, but what really makes Gent Smaakt so great is that you can also eat very refined food there. In the area called ‘Chef’s Island’, young, promising chefs get the chance to showcase their skills. Admittedly: this little tower of caramelized red endive, Pas de rouge espuma, sunflower seeds and cranberries fell apart three times before I managed to photograph it properly. But hey: the photo turned out great and—much more importantly—it was delicious! For now, Commotie is a pop-up, but they’re working hard to find a permanent location. I’ll be keeping an eye on them!
Gaston
At the festival, you miss the spectacular view you normally get from restaurant Gaston’s rooftop bar, but that certainly shouldn’t diminish the pleasure brought by their stracciatella with celery and zucchini. Or how about glazed pork belly with peas and carrots?
IJsster
Aside from being super #instagrammable, IJsster’s ice cream macarons are also incredibly delicious. We had one with raspberry/red beet and blood orange sorbet, raspberry coulis and orange zest. Don’t let the red beet put you off—it’s only subtly present. Add coffee from Ghent coffee roastery De Draak (the stand is next door), and there you have it: your ideal finale.
Vegetarian
A striking amount of vegetarian food? Correct! Ghent is a vegetarian city par excellence—in fact, it has the highest percentage of vegetarian and vegan restaurants (relative to the number of inhabitants) in Europe. That’s why it’s also known as the vegetarian capital of Europe. Make the most of it!
Gent Smaakt
May 29, 2019 through June 2, 2019
Emile Braunplein 1
Ghent
