Discovering the dishes served during the First and Second World Wars is the aim of Smakelijk Raverside (Raversyde Appétissant in French) event, which kicks off on Saturday 3 June 2023 in the Atlantikwall Raversyde provincial estate in Ostend.
Two chefs will prepare snacks and drinks with ingredients used during this period in history. Various country dishes will also be prepared in public, with visitors being given a chance to sample everything.
Workshops and talks are also on the menu. The guide from the Ostend lighthouse, De Lange Nelle, will be in charge of the presentations and will talk in particular about the special eating habits of the estate’s former occupant, Prince Charles of Belgium.
Various historical organisations will also be presenting a closer look at the food distributed at the front and how it was prepared.
Credit: Atlantikwall Raversyde / Facebook
During the workshops, those interested will learn how to work with edible plants, a demonstration of rationing, how to peel prawns and find out more about the history of prawns on the Belgian coast.
Cookbook collector Freddy Tyberghein will explain how these were introduced and how families managed to get enough to eat at the time. Listeners will learn, for example, the recipe for war mayonnaise or potato marzipan.
Several cookery books will also be on display part of the exhibition.
An admission ticket to the provincial estate is essential to attend the event. In addition, food vouchers are on sale which allow you to enjoy up to three wartime meals.
