Knapkoek has been a Maaseik speciality since 1648.
At the end of the 16th and in the 17th century, Maaseik was a flourishing port. A nutritious biscuit rusk was baked specially for the bargees on the Maas river. The old harbour went into terminal decline, but Maaseik’s characteristic ship’s biscuit became the town’s best-known culinary product. The recipe has been refined and the ship’s biscuit was transformed into the crunchy knapkoek. That distinctive snapping sound when you break one in half is enough to get your mouth watering.
The Maaseiker Knapkoek is available at Maison Maeseyck and Milk and Sugar, among others
