Limburgse Vlaai

A vlaai is a flat round tart about thirty centimetres across on a yeast-raised base rather than shortcrust, filled with fruit or a cooked filling and finished either with a lattice, a crumble or a meringue top. It is Limburg's own and it is not really cake in the sense of something eaten by the slice at a cafe: it is bought whole, cut into wedges, and produced at funerals, birthdays, first communions, carnival and any gathering, so a Limburg household buys them regularly. The standard fillings are cherry, apricot, plum, apple, rice pudding and kruimel, the crumble one; the abrikozenvlaai and the kersenvlaai are the fixtures. It holds EU protected geographical indication as Limburgse vlaai. Bakeries compete over them and every town has an opinion about who does the best. It is a large object and a whole one feeds ten.

What you actually see

• A yeast-dough base - not shortcrust, which is what distinguishes it from a fruit tart.
• Bought whole, not by the slice - produced at funerals, birthdays and gatherings.
• Fixed fillings - cherry, apricot, plum, rice pudding and crumble.
• A protected name - EU geographical indication for Limburgse vlaai.

When to go

All year. An hour.

Honest expectations

A whole vlaai feeds about ten people - buying one for two is optimistic, though bakeries sell quarters. It does not keep well past a day. Much sold outside Limburg is industrial and not the protected product.

Nearby

Maastricht, Roermond and every Limburg town have their contenders.