Babelutten

Boy, have we been missing out!  

This may be the best candy I've ever eaten.  It's called babelutten and it's a bit like taffy and caramel only a lot better.  

These particular candies are made at a confiserie (French for confectionery) in Brugge, Belgium.  Started by August Verheecke, it has been in business since just after WWI.    

The original babelutte candy began in Belgium with Mother Babelute (aka Rosalie Desmedt).  She began making the candy in 1850 when she and her husband , a carpenter, moved to the Belgian coastal town of Heist.  

The recipe was passed down from Rosalie's mother - made from unrefined sugar, butter and glucose and cooked over an open fire.

More than 150 years later, the treats are a Belgian tradition on the coast and symbolize a holiday at the seaside.

According to their website, babelutte is the "Frenchification" of the word babblers which means the same thing in English - someone who talks too much.  

And naturally, like every single label in all of Belgium, it's in Dutch and French . . .

echte = real in Dutch

véritable = real in French

I am anxious to make another trip to Heist, Belgium on the North Sea and try one of Mother Babelutte's.  It can't possibly be better than these.

I got a few extra to share :)