Why is a Belgian Bun?

[mangerton]

Reading the description, and looking at the picture Caliban posted, I was reminded of what my mother used to make. She called them empire biscuits, (qv) but she said they were sometimes called Belgian biscuits. They were biscuity in texture, a bit like shortbread, and she cut them out with a pastry cutter.

[Pabmusic]

Intrigued by the name 'parkin' but OED does not yield an answer...

Parkin is a surname. It is a diminutive of Peter (Peterkin, Perkin, Parkin - hence Parkinson, Perkins, Perks, Parks). I can find no other etymology (I've tried six sources).

This does not, of course, explain why a pet name for Peter was applied to a rather heavy treacle-based cake. It's hardly a rock-cake, though ("Thou art Peter, and on this rock...).

[Roehre]

Fresh information from an expert (my sister, still living in Heusy - if you call that living). The food the English call Belgian Bun looks like a regional variety of couques suisses but are dense and heavy - like the English. Also she wouldn't trust unseen any patisserie sold in Bruxelles, and she wouldn't eat any patisserie made outside Wallonia, unless it was French, and even then not if made by a Picard. Got that?

The one I consumed this morning was offered in that centre of gastronomy Horsham, which at 0815 had one coffee shop open (well two, but the coffee machine in the other was being cleaned). I must see if I can work an insult about Horsham into the thread about the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra and its audience hinterland.

Aren't these not called "bolus" in Flanders? At least they are in (Dutch) Zeeuws Vlaanderen, (Dutch) Noord Brabant and (Belgian) Vlaams Brabant (who invented THAT historically ridiculous name ).

[Alain Maréchal]

Aren't these not called "bolus" in Flanders? At least they are in (Dutch) Zeeuws Vlaanderen, (Dutch) Noord Brabant and (Belgian) Vlaams Brabant (who invented THAT historically ridiculous name ).

I think of bolus as being nearer to cinnamon whirl without icing, but there must be regional variations. It still neither looks nor tastes like the Sussex Belgian Bun.

I shall now let Roehre into a dark family secret: Belgium was running out of acceptable territorial nomenclatures by the 80s; riots in Brussel/Bruxelles could start on lesser pretexts. It is probable that Vlaams Brabant was dreamed up as an acceptable compromise by a cousin who worked in the national cartological institute. Belgium has enough divisions for almost everybody in the country to have a state post.

[greenilex]

Eccles is not cake.

[Nick Armstrong]

Eccles is not cake.

Also sprach Zarathustra.

[teamsaint]

Always imagined it was cockney rhyming slang...

Belgian Bun...........bakers fun .......or something !!

Eccles cakes are just about my favourite.

Perhams the greenster knows of some new euro directive which has re labelled them as " british crumbly dried fruit filled vegetable fat based pastry". Or something?!

[teamsaint]

Also sprach Zarathustra.

Did the great man like them , cals? You seem well informed !

[salymap]

Mahlerei and his rabbits were shocked that my littlejoke about two rabbits on #10 fell flat.

He stills reads the boards although now, sadly a'guest'. Even S_A and ams51 didn't laff.

[Tony Halstead]

Mahlerei and his rabbits were shocked that my littlejoke about two rabbits on #10 fell flat.

He stills reads the boards although now, sadly a'guest'. Even S_A and ams51 didn't laff.

I've just looked at your #10 and don't see any mention of rabbits.... did you edit them out by any chance and substitute Flemish giants?

[Tony Halstead]

Derrrr.... I don't know much about RABBITS do I?
Sorry.

[salymap]

Derrrr.... I don't know much about RABBITS do I?
Sorry.

Well, I forgive you Tony. As a child in WW2 I kept many rabbits in,I think, Morant Runs,
a sort of enclosure with no floor, so the rabbits were moved about to eat the grass.

I had a pet Flemish Giant, Loppy, but went off rabbit keeping when she appeared hanging in the local Butcher's window. I thought she was being humanely put to sleep, due to old age.

Part of growing up, I suppose

[Nick Armstrong]

You see, saly? Rabbits are no laffing matter...

Plus I connected Flemish with Belgian, but I've only just got the rabbit - bunny - Bun link...

[Alain Maréchal]

I also misunderstood. I assumed the reference was to these folk:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arras_%28les_3_g%C3%A9ants%29.jpg

Yes, I know Arras isn't Flemish, but I happened to have the link saved. it will serve.

[salymap]

I also misunderstood. I assumed the reference was to these folk:

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arras_%28les_3_g%C3%A9ants%29.jpg

Yes, I know Arras isn't Flemish, but I happened to have the link saved. it will serve.

I forget how things change AM. I don't imagine the borders have kept anything other than a dog,cat or horse.


This was almost rural when I was a kid and in WW2 people even kept pigs on the allotments.

Iknew they were to be eaten, but rabbits,never. Nowlocal butcher tries to get me to buy Ostrich steaks and bits[?] of kangaroo.

Yuk.