Spring Market · Hop Shoots
Hoppescheuten
🌱
Photo coming soon
These pale, thread-thin shoots are the first sprouts of the hop plant, hand-picked underground before they ever see daylight, and for a few weeks a year they cost more per kilo than steak.
Blanched hop shoots are tossed with butter, cream, egg and bits of ham, then served warm at market stalls and pop-up food stands around Poperinge during the short late-winter harvest window.
Why it's made this way: Poperinge has grown hops for beer since the Middle Ages, and once farmers realized the tender young shoots underground were edible, harvesting them became a way to earn money from the crop before the actual hop cones were even ready.
More from Belgium
Belgian Fries (Frites/Friet)
Belgian Waffle (Gaufre de Liège)
Mitraillette
Kaaskroket (Cheese Croquette)
🍺
Rodenbach
🍤
Garnaalkroket
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below.
Photo credits.