Alternative names Bouquette Place of origin Belgium Region or state Liège, Belgium | Type Pancake Serving temperature Hot or cold | |
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Main ingredients Buckwheat flour, raisins, lard Similar Funkaso, Cholermus, David Eyre's pa, Crempog, Touton | ||
A boûkète (Walloon; also spelled bouquette in French) is a type of Belgian pancake made with buckwheat flour, pan-fried in lard and frequently embellished with raisins. Boûkètes may be eaten hot or cold, garnished with a local brown sugar known as cassonade or with sirop de Liège.
The name derives from the Dutch-language word boekweit ("buckwheat") and is attested with that meaning in the early 17th century, before being used to refer to the pancake itself: a usage first recorded in 1743.
Bo(u)quettes were first introduced to the city of Liège in the 18th century, imported by the court of the Prince-Bishops from the County of Loon and the district around Tongeren in Flanders. By the end of the 19th century the pancakes had become a Liège speciality.
Boûkètes are traditionally eaten accompanied by mulled wine during the Christmas season, and are also honoured at the festival of the "Free Republic of Outre-Meuse" held in Liège on 15 August each year.