Lukken
| Alternative names | Butter waffles |
|---|---|
| Type | Waffle |
| Place of origin | West Flanders |
| Main ingredients | Flour, butter, eggs, sugar, salt, cognac (or rum, or water)[1] |
Lukken are thin dessert waffles, traditionally made in West Flanders to celebrate the New Year and other feasts.[1][2] Lukken are made with more sugar than other traditional waffles, and since sugar was historically a luxury good, lukken were associated with the nobility and with celebrations.[1] Jules Destrooper popularized a version of lukken called "butter waffles".[1]
Description
[edit]The main ingredients in lukken are flour, butter, and sugar.[3] The Westvlaamsch Idioticon, a West Flemish dictionary, defined lukke as a "thin, solid little wafer, usually oval-shaped."[3]
Etymology
[edit]The term lukken is derived from the Dutch word for luck, geluk.[1][4] Traditionally, on New Year's Day, children would congratulate (luk) their godparents by offering lukken.[5] The baking of lukken became idiomatic for something that could be done quickly and simply, as in the Flemish expression Het gaat lijk lukken bakken ("it goes like baking lukken").[3]
In Belgium, lukken are sometimes called nieuwjaarswafeltjes, meaning "New Year waffles".[6][3] In the Netherlands, lukken goes by names such as ijzerkoekjes and niepertjes.[3]
History
[edit]Traditionally, lukken were produced on special "luk irons" (lukijzers) that sometimes became family heirlooms.[5][4] A museum in Bruges came into possession of one such iron, dating from the 18th century, and bearing the phrase Ik wens u een zalig nieuwjaer ("I wish you a happy New Year").[5]
When electric waffle irons were introduced, the time to bake a single lukken could be reduced from 3 minutes to 30 seconds.[7] The Gazette van Detroit, a newspaper for Belgian Americans, often advertized the sale of lukken irons around the holidays.[5]
Jules Destrooper popularized a version of lukken called "butter waffles".[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dansby, Angela (26 December 2023). "The Belgian waffle that brings New Year's luck". BBC. Retrieved 14 January 2025.
- ↑ Ysewijn, Regula (2023). Dark Rye and Honey Cake: Festival Baking from Belgium, the Heart of the Low Countries. Weldon Owen International. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-1681888552.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Hey, Good Lukken". Gazette van Detroit. 21 January 2010. p. 6. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- 1 2 K. D. "Of 'Lukken' and 'Lukijzers'". Gazette van Detroit. No. 8 December 1988. p. 2. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 "Burgundian wafer irons". Musea Brugge. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ↑ K. D. "Speaking of 'Lukken'". Gazette van Detroit. p. 3. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
- ↑ Geldhof, Al. "The Lukken Lady". Gazette van Detroit. No. 23 January 2003. p. 6. Retrieved 15 January 2025.