Belgians absolutely love Belgian endive: we top the charts for this vegetable globally, consuming on average no less than 7 kg of Belgian endive per person per year. The French come in second with just 3.5 kg per person. We export a lot of our Belgian endives to our neighbouring countries, but people in Japan, Canada and Israel also enjoy our local speciality. Many foreign chefs like to work with Belgian endive because it is so flavoursome. Raw, caramelised or stewed; each cooking method shows a different side to this tasty vegetable.
Belgian endive with ham and cheese sauce
Do you like to keep things traditional? In that case, opt for Belgian endive with ham and cheese sauce, also called ‘ham rolls’: softly stewed heads of Belgian endive, wrapped in boiled ham with a hot cheese sauce spooned over them. This dish comes out of the oven beautifully brown with crispy edges. It’s a nostalgic winter dish that instantly makes you happy.
