Gastronomy News

In Belgium, man fishing for shrimp on horseback like 500 years ago: among the last in the world

by:
Alessia Odoardi
|
copertina pescatore a cavallo

Known primarily for its gaufres and moules-frites, Belgium is a destination that also holds for food lovers an ancient and noble tradition that can still be witnessed today: fishing for gray shrimp on horseback. We met with Bruno, proud custodian of a custom he shares with only 12 other fishermen around the world.

Fishing for shrimp riding a horse: the gastronomic experience you don't expect in Belgium

It is 6:00 a.m. and from the window the sky does not bode well. It matters little, really, because what matters today is that the tide is right: she will be the one to guide the activity we are going to see this morning. We take the car and head for Oostduinkerke, a small town on the west coast of Belgium, overlooking the North Sea.

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Here, on a small farm, Bruno and his horses will be waiting for us to get up close and personal with a special tradition, so old and precious that it has become part of Unesco's intangible cultural heritage of humanity: horse shrimp fishing. Bruno, in fact, is one of the last 13 Paardevissers (horseback fishermen) left in the world, and today he will take us fishing with him.

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Paardevissers have been carrying on this activity for more than five centuries. At one time this unique type of fishing was also widespread in France, Holland and along the coasts of southern England; but it is only here in Oostduinkerke that it is still practiced today.

Bruno's work on the saddle

After explaining how the morning will unfold, while we are treated to some excellent pain au chocolat, Bruno shows us how he prepares Udo and Kalinka, his mighty brabantini (brabançonne) horses, a draft breed native to Belgium, ideal for this type of activity. Udo is an imposing specimen: he weighs over a ton and can pull up to two thousand pounds effortlessly. But tonnage is not enough to become a draft horse. Training, in fact, begins as early as one year of age, and once completed, a committee evaluates whether the horse can actually become part of this ancient tradition.

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We put on our rubber boots, lend a hand loading our fishing gear, and climb into the buggy to reach the beach. The wind is quite strong and, by the time we reach the shoreline, it has blown away many of the clouds, allowing a warm sun to warm us up a bit. We are practically in the middle of the sea, but the low tide gives us the illusion of resting our feet on an almost endless beach. The fishermen, dressed in their characteristic yellow oilskin and headgear, set up two large wicker baskets on either side of their horses and lay out their nets, which will be dragged to the bottom of the sea. Meanwhile, several people gather around us to take pictures: undoubtedly not something you see every day. Bruno and Udo begin to enter the water, while riding Kalinka today is Marius, one of the most experienced Paardevissers, who has come to lend a hand despite being now retired. Ѐ hard to be away from the sea after a lifetime of fishing.

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Seeing these towering animals enter the water is a unique sight. When the horses are submerged to approximately below shoulder height, fishermen line them up perpendicular to the beach and begin scouring the seabed. At regular intervals they return to the shoreline to empty their nets and fill their baskets with gray shrimp.

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Everything else (small fish, crabs, jellyfish) is thrown back into the sea. This operation is repeated several times during the fishing trip. The sea is very rough, but it seems not to bother the horses, who move through the waves with extreme ease and elegance.

From the sea to the plate: the extraordinary horse-fished shrimps

About two hours later, the high tide begins to rise and forces the fishermen to stop fishing. The horses must not be put in harm's way. We fold up the nets, load everything into the buggy and return to the farm. While Udo and Kalinka enjoy their well-deserved meal, Bruno empties the baskets and prepares the fire to cook the shrimp.

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They are cooked in a huge cauldron filled with boiling salted water; after a few minutes they are ready. The flavor of these tiny shrimp is exceptional, a combination of savory and sweetness that is unmatched. No wonder they are so renowned. Tasting all together what we caught a few hours earlier, sipping a Kriek, is the perfect conclusion to a morning out of the ordinary.

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These precious moments together with Bruno allowed us to get to know and admire a tradition as beautiful as it is hard, in which the natural elements regulate man's activity and decide its fate; an ancient craft, made up of stubborn people who, with passion and pride, carry on an activity that still keeps them firmly anchored to their origins.

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