Geuteling
A traditional Belgian pancake-like food linked to Saint Apollonia.
A geuteling (plural geutelingen) is a traditional food originating in Elst, part of Brakel in the Flemish Ardennes region of Belgium (not to be confused with the city Elst in the Netherlands). It bears some similarity to a pancake. Geutelingen began as a food to celebrate the Catholic feast of Saint Apollonia, and the tradition continues today, though the religious association has almost disappeared.
- associated_festival_period
- Around the feast of Saint Apollonia on February 9
Lore & Background
Geutelingen began as a food to celebrate the Catholic feast of Saint Apollonia. According to legends, Saint Apollonia was caught and tortured for her Christian beliefs, during which her teeth were pulled and broken. These events started a pilgrimage, and to this day there is a tradition to prepare geuteling every year around the feast of Saint Apollonia on February 9. The events turned her into the patron saint of dentists. The locals believe that preparing and eating geuteling during the festivities will grant them a year-long immunity to toothache.
Reader's Guide
The geuteling holds significance as a cultural and culinary tradition in the Flemish Ardennes, particularly in Elst, which is known as the village of the geutelingen. Though the religious association has almost disappeared, the feast of the geutelingen is still organized on the first weekend after the feast of Saint Apollonia: February 9. Families prepare their own dough and bring it to the local bakery to be baked. The next weekend, the geutelingen are reheated in a casserole and shared with the whole family. There is also a tradition of tossing the geuteling, as pancakes are tossed elsewhere. Elst, part of the community of Brakel in East Flanders, promotes the geuteling in the Flemish Ardennes and elsewhere in the country. The preparation uses flour, milk, eggs, yeast, a little salt, and a little cinnamon; the liquid dough is poured onto a clay tile in a very hot oven, and the high temperature gives the geuteling its typical odor and flavor.
Did You Know?
- Geutelingen originated in Elst, part of Brakel in the Flemish Ardennes, Belgium, not to be confused with the city Elst in the Netherlands.
- The tradition is linked to Saint Apollonia, whose teeth were pulled and broken during torture, making her the patron saint of dentists.
- Locals believe that preparing and eating geuteling during the festivities grants year-long immunity to toothache.
- The dough is poured onto a clay tile in a very hot oven, which gives the geuteling its typical odor and flavor.
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