Why are 'boules de Berlin' sold on Belgium's beaches? The pastry's sweet history revealed

The sweet treat known as 'boules de Berlin' has been a beloved staple on the Belgian coast for generations. Many associate a day at the beach with the arrival of the beach vendor selling these round, sugared pastries. However, the popular belief that these treats originate from Berlin is a culinary myth, according to Ina Ruckebusch of the Bakery Museum in Veurne.

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That is just a culinary myth. For the history of many pastries and cakes, not one specific chef or baker is responsible.

The pastry, known as 'Pfannkuchen' or 'Krapfen' in German-speaking regions, actually emerged across Europe in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Ruckebusch dismisses the tale of a Berlin baker inventing the pastry as a cannonball shape after being rejected for military service, stating that the history of many pastries is not attributable to a single chef.

The name 'Berliner bol' likely derives from the 'Berliner Pfannkuchen,' a term that became popular in the mid-19th century. The exact way the pastry reached Belgium remains uncertain, but Ruckebusch points to a strong possibility: Belgian pastry chefs in the 19th century, lacking formal training in Belgium, studied French recipe books and often trained in France. A French cookbook from the late 19th century, 'Le Pâtissier Moderne' by Gustave Garlin, includes a recipe for 'Fenne Coucque,' the French term for 'Pfannkuchen,' suggesting how the pastry gradually made its way into Belgian bakeries.

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Belgian pastry chefs read French recipe books in the 19th century, because there was no formal bakery training in Belgium yet. Many of them also did internships in France.

Early recipes for the 'boule de Berlin' featured apricot jam or sometimes plum or redcurrant jam. The custard filling, now a familiar element in Belgium, is a later variation. While some believe the custard version originated in Diksmuide and was called 'boule de l'Yser' after World War I, Ruckebusch clarifies that these "iron balls" only appeared in the 1950s or 1960s, after World War II.

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In 'Le Pâtissier Moderne' for example by Gustave Garlin, a French-language recipe book from the end of the 19th century, there is on page 716 a recipe for the 'Fenne Coucque': the French reference to 'Pfannkuchen'.

The tradition of selling 'boules de Berlin' on the beach dates back to at least 1905. Council minutes from Blankenberge on July 13, 1905, show a request from Rodolphe Dies of Brussels for permission to sell these pastries on the beach and promenade. Although his request was denied, the practice was clearly established around that time.

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That pudding variant comes from Diksmuide and was called 'boule de l'Yser' after the First World War is also a culinary myth. The so-called 'iron balls' only appeared after the Second World War, in the 1950s or 1960s.