Belgium’s world famous cookie

The little cookie that you often get on plane flights has stirred up a controversy.

Speculaas

When I was a kid, my mom would sometimes buy us a package of windmill-shaped cookies. They were some of my favorites and I loved dunking them in a glass of milk.

What I didn’t know is that these Archway cookies were a mass-produced take on the Speculaas cookie from The Netherlands. Speculaas are cookies made with a mix of spices that includes cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, cardamom, and pepper.

The Dutch people love this kind of cookie, flavored with spices that came to The Netherlands via the spice trade and brutal colonization.

Speculoos

Speculaas were also loved in neighboring Belgium. But, the Belgians couldn’t afford to import the expensive spices from The Netherlands so they created their own take on the Speculaas called Speculoos, omitting most of the spices except cinnamon and creating a more budget-friendly treat.

Traditionally, Speculoos were a Christmas treat in Belgium, eaten on December, 6th, the feast day of Saint Nicholas.

Today, however, Speculoos are eaten year-round all over the world, mostly thanks to the Belgian company Lotus who cranks out 7 billion Speculoos a year!

And, you’ve probably had a Speculoos without even realizing it. Lotus packages Speculoos under the brand name Biscoff, combining the words biscuit and coffee.

For years, Lotus called the treat Speculoos in Belgium and Biscoff in the the rest of the world. Then, Lotus created quite a stir when it recently stopped using the Speculoos name in Belgium to create international consistency with their branding. Traditionalists were outraged!

Lotus also makes something called Biscoff Spread. Back in the day, some Belgian workers would make a sort of Speculoos sandwich, spreading butter between two Speculoos cookies. By lunchtime, the butter and Speculoos would meld together forming a kind of paste. With the consistency of peanut butter, today’s Biscoff Spread is very popular.

You can buy Speculoos in grocery stores worldwide. Biscoff cookies are also served on many airplane flights. But the best way to enjoy Speculoos is with your coffee in the morning. Many coffee shops in Belgium will include a complimentary Speculoos with your cuppa.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including an in-depth eating and drinking guide to Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.