National Dish Belgium: Bloempanch (Recipe)
In this article
Bloempanch is Brussels’ own blood sausage, and it is a large one — traditionally a thick sausage sold by the slice, spiced with clove, nutmeg and allspice and studded with apple and bacon. Fried until the outside crisps and served with apple sauce, it is one of the oldest specialities of the city and considerably milder than its ingredients suggest.
About Bloempanch
Bloempanch is the traditional blood sausage of Brussels. This hearty dish of pig’s blood, seasoned minced meat, apples and fine spices is among the oldest specialities of the Belgian capital. Fried and served with apple sauce, bloempanch brings the robust, warming cooking of Brussels straight to the table, and its surprisingly mild, faintly sweet character wins over people who expect otherwise.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 250 ml fresh pig’s blood (or ready-made blood sausage from the chiller)
- 150 g mixed minced pork and beef
- 50 g streaky bacon, diced
- 1 apple, peeled and finely diced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 slices white bread, soaked
- A pinch each of ground clove, nutmeg and allspice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Shopping for the ingredients
Fresh pig’s blood must be ordered from a butcher and used within a day or two; many countries restrict its sale, in which case a good ready-made boudin noir is the practical route and the recipe becomes a matter of frying and serving. A firm, tart apple such as Boskoop holds its shape best.
Preparing the dish
Soak the bread in a little milk or water and squeeze it out. Dice the apple, bacon and onion small and evenly. If working with fresh blood, strain it through a fine sieve first and keep everything cold. This is the one preparation where temperature discipline genuinely matters.
Step-by-step instructions
- Soften the onion and bacon in a pan for 6–8 minutes; let cool.
- Squeeze the soaked bread dry and crumble it into a bowl.
- Mix in the minced meat, the cooled onion and bacon, and the diced apple.
- Season with the clove, nutmeg, allspice, salt and pepper.
- Stir in the strained blood until evenly combined.
- Fill into a casing or press into a greased loaf tin.
- Poach gently at 80°C for 45–60 minutes — do not let the water boil, or the mixture splits.
- Cool completely, slice thickly and fry in butter until crisp on both sides.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
Replace the soaked white bread with gluten-free bread or cooked rice and the sausage works exactly the same way. Soak the bread in water rather than milk and fry in oil for a lactose-free version.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Blood sausage cannot be made without blood, but the spicing and the apple are the interesting part. A mixture of black beans, beetroot, apple and the same spice blend, bound and fried in slices, gives a vegetarian version that shares the character if not the substance.
More tips and tricks
Keep the poaching water below simmering point, visible bubbles will make the mixture curdle and separate, which cannot be undone. Cool it completely before slicing, or it will crumble. And fry the slices hard in butter; the crisp crust is most of the pleasure.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
More apple makes it noticeably sweeter, which is the Brussels tendency. Pear works instead. Onions caramelised slowly rather than merely softened add considerable depth, and a splash of gueuze in the mixture is a very Brussels touch.
Ingredient substitutions
Ready-made boudin noir or German Blutwurst saves the whole production and needs only frying. Breadcrumbs substitute for soaked bread. Pancetta works in place of streaky bacon.
Drink pairing ideas
A Brussels gueuze or lambic is the local pairing and its acidity cuts the richness perfectly. A Trappist dubbel suits it in winter. Apple juice is the obvious non-alcoholic choice and echoes the sauce.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve bloempanch in thick fried slices with apple sauce and either mashed potato or frites. Fried apple rings alongside are traditional in Brussels. It is plain, hearty food and should look it. No garnishing required.
A bit of history
Bloempanch is a Brussels dialect word, and the sausage has been sold in the city’s markets, above all around the Marolles and the old butchers’ quarter, for centuries. It is larger and more coarsely cut than the French boudin noir, and it is one of a handful of dishes, along with stoemp and choesels, that are specifically of Brussels rather than of Belgium generally. It offers a genuine window onto Belgian cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Bloempanch
Bloempanch is Brussels’ spiced blood sausage with apple and bacon, poached gently and then fried in thick slices. Keep the poaching water below the boil, cool it fully, and serve it with apple sauce.
