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Nord-Pas-de-Calais
« Tucked between two thin, crisp waffles lies a melting, lightly caramelised blonde vergeoise buttercream. Since 1849, Maison Méert has made it a Lille institution — it was the favourite gift of Charles de Gaulle, who would send boxes of them to his distinguished guests. »
Pastry or bakery speciality from Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
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The waffle is one of the oldest cakes in Europe. The word comes from the Frankish « wafla », which refers to honeycombs — a reference to the honeycomb pattern imprinted on the batter by the waffle iron. As early as the Middle Ages, waffles were prepared in Flandre and Picardie on the occasion of religious festivals and popular fairs. In Flandre française as in Belgique, it remains a popular speciality deeply rooted in festive culture.
The gaufre flamande fourrée as it is known today is the result of a precise, dated and localised innovation: in 1849, Michael Paulus Gislenus Méert took over the patisserie at 27 rue Esquermoise in Lille — founded in 1761 by the confectioner Delcourt — and invented the gaufre filled with vanilla buttercream, which would give its name to Maison Méert. The idea was simple and ingenious: fill two thin, crisp waffles with a smooth, fragrant filling to create a biscuit that was portable, long-keeping and exquisite.
While Maison Méert popularised the Madagascar vanilla version, vergeoise is the signature ingredient of the popular gaufre flamande. Vergeoise is a beet sugar — a speciality of the Nord — obtained by cooking and recooking sugar beet syrup. It comes in two varieties: vergeoise blonde (mild, lightly caramelised) and vergeoise brune (more intense, with notes of liquorice and dark caramel). Blended with Norman butter, it yields a melting filling that is characteristically Ch'ti, in stark contrast to the gaufres de Bruxelles or de Liège.
The gaufre Méert achieved national renown thanks to an illustrious customer: Charles de Gaulle, born in Lille in 1890, was a fervent admirer of the vanilla-filled gaufre Méert. He regularly had them delivered to the Élysée, in Paris. The Lille gaufre thus became an emblem of gastronomy from the Nord, reaching the very corridors of power. Over the course of its history, the house has also counted Napoléon, Winston Churchill and Marguerite Yourcenar among its distinguished visitors.
Appearance
small rectangular or oval mouthful, composed of two thin waffles (2–3 mm each) sealed together by a filling of around 1 cm. Golden, lightly glossy surface, marked with the characteristic grid pattern of the waffle iron.
Aroma
butter and caramelised sugar dominate, with notes of vanilla (Méert version) or beet caramel (vergeoise version).
Taste
sweet and buttery melt, sweet and slightly smoky length very typical of the Nord brought by the vergeoise; notes of Madagascar vanilla for the Méert version.
Texture
firm and crisp to the touch; on tasting, the crispness of the waffle yields immediately to the melt of the buttery filling — a remarkable contrast of textures.
Mix flour, eggs, butter, sugar, yeast and water. Leave the leavened dough to rest for several hours.
Cook in preheated, oiled and clamped cast-iron waffle irons (2–3 min) to obtain a thin, crisp waffle.
Place the waffles flat on wire racks to preserve their crispness.
Work softened butter with blonde vergeoise, or whip a Madagascar vanilla buttercream for the Méert version.
Spread the filling over one waffle, place the second waffle on top, apply light pressure to seal the whole together.
Pack into golden boxes or individual sachets for sale.
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The gaufre flamande fourrée is enjoyed on its own, with morning coffee, or with a robust Assam black tea. A tradition of the Nord: it is given as a gift at Christmas, New Year, and for Saint-Nicolas (6 December), a great children's celebration in Nord-Pas-de-Calais.
It pairs ideally with a chicorée café — the emblematic drink of the Nord — whose chicory root bitterness cuts through the sweet melt of the filling. Lovers of sweet wines will find a partner for it in a Muscat d'Alsace or a very light Gewurztraminer vendanges tardives.
The original Méert version features Madagascar vanilla, a luxurious, floral flavour. The popular Flemish version is made with vergeoise blonde, more caramelised and typically northern. Some pastry chefs also offer variations with vergeoise brune (more intense), chicorée du Nord, or spéculoos. The traditional Méert version remains the historical benchmark and the most sought-after.
The gaufre flamande does not benefit from any official geographical protection. Its authenticity rests on the historic Lille roots of Maison Méert (since 1849) and on the use of vergeoise or vanilla in a buttery filling.
Historic house
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