Brussels Museum for Mill and Food

Evere is a village in Brabant with a history dating back at least to the 12th century. Until the 20th century, however, it remained an agricultural village in the vicinity of Brussels, by which it was eventually absorbed.

The mill dates back to 1841, and hosted various industrial activities until it became the “Brussels Museum for Mill and Food” in 2008.

Apart from a small permanent exhibition on milling techniques, the museum hosts each year a temporary exhibition on a food-related theme. Currently, this theme is ‘Sweet Candy’ and it covers the history, folklore, industry and health effects of candy.

This is a visit for all ages. Displays are in Flemish or French.

Museum of Belgian Endive (Chicory)

Chicory has a long medicinal tradition - it was used by the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans alike. Rembert Dodoens, the great Renaissance botanist lists chicory as a cure for 27 different ailments. The plant exists in 2 main varieties, Cichorium endivia and Cichorium intybus.

The latter variety produces leaves similar to the dandelion. The practice of covering its leaves with earth to bleach them became popular in the 18th century. Following this practice, Belgian endive was accidentally discovered. Around the middle of the century, it was observed that white crops grew on the chicory roots if they remained buried in the ground. This finding occurred in several places almost simultaneously, for example by Frans Breziers, Chief of the Botanical Garden of Brussels.

Anyway, while Frans Breziers may have received more credit than his more obscure co-inventors, Belgian endives are indisputably Belgian (unlike French fries, which may well be of Spanish origin).

The first crops were produced in 1846. In 1873, 500 kg of Belgian endives found their way to the Parisian markets and 10,000 kg in 1913. Other export markets developed, such as the USA and more recently, Japan. Belgian production of endives peaked in the 70s with 125,000 tons, but in the meantime, France has taken over as the world’s largest producer of this delicacy.

The image of Belgian endives as a delicacy stands in sharp contrast with the other use of chicory, i.e. the grinding of its roots to produce a surrogate for coffee. Belgian endives (called ‘witloof’ in Flanders) can be used for a variety of dishes, such as salads, soups, tarts, cakes, and gratins.

The Museum of Belgian Endive (Witloofmuseum) introduces the old techniques for growing the crop, the hard labour in the winter months, the folklore around its cultivation, the process from seed to crop, and much more. Audio guides are available in English, French and Flemish. In the small museum shop, a cooking book is offered dedicated to recipes using Belgian endives.

Near the museum is a restaurant with a menu dominated by endives. If you want to spend even more time, tours are offered, combining the museum with a visit to the horticultural auction and to nearby endive farms, with a pause in one of the nearby restaurants.

Visited in summer 2012. 

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ID 632 on the Belgian Tourist Map.

Rupelmonde - harvesting the power of the tides since the middle ages

If you are new to Belgium, chances are that you haven’t heard yet of Rupelmonde, a small village in the eastern part of Flanders. At the crossing of the rivers Rupel and Scheldt, Rupelmonde was the location of a large moated castle in the 12th century. It served the Count of Flanders in his defense against Holland and Brabant. When Philip the Bold unified Flanders and Brabant in 1389 under the Burgundian Netherlands, the castle lost its military function and was converted into a prison.

It served as such until 1657, after which it was abandoned and quickly decayed. Nobody cared much for it, probably because of the atrocities committed in it during almost 3 centuries. By the 19th century, little remained. In 1817, Baron de Felz had the site cleared and constructed a tower to be used as a hunting pavillon. This tower currently hosts a small museum on Renaissance scientists, with special focus on Mercator, who was born in Rupelmonde 500 years ago.

All that remains of Mercator in the village is a statue and a commemorative plaque at his place of birth. To learn about the great cartographer, it’s probably better to visit the Mercator Museum in nearby Sint-Niklaas.

What is worth the detour when in the neighbourhood, is a 16th century water mill, running on the tides of the river Scheldt. Already in the middle ages, a mill operated on this site. The building dates from 1517. The current, 6-meter wheel was installed in 1924 and is the largest indoor water wheel in Europe. The 8-ton construction can provide 17.5 kW of power.

The mill is unique in Europe and fully operational. Grain is milled about 10 times per month during the tourist season (see calendar).

Belgian Brewers Museum

A beer museum in a country dedicated to beer and situated on the Brussels Grand Place carries great promise. Unfortunately, even without very high expectations, the Belgian Brewers Museum disappoints. What went wrong here?

Well, first of all, the museum is a half-way house between a pub and a museum. However, if you want a pub, the nearby Roy d’Espagne is unbeatable in atmosphere. For a museum, it’s all a bit thin. The Schaerbeek Beer Museum or the Lambic Visitor Center offers a richer experience.

Secondly, the museum lacks space. Space comes at a premium at Grand Place, but only the cellar of the ‘Maison des Brasseurs’ is devoted to the museum, with the rest of the building used for other purposes. The story of beer merits quite a bit more space, especially in Belgium.

If you do visit the museum, you can expect to see a couple of ancient and modern beer making instruments and a few posters on beer-making. You can also watch an image video.