‘Peperkoek’, known worldwide as soft gingerbread in English and 'shougapan' or honey cake in Japan, is a traditional local delicacy originating from Flanders.

Aoitori magazine visited the Vondelmolen factory, the only remaining factory in Belgium, and met with the newly appointed CEO, Mr. Rafael De Gendt, and the production manager, Alain Verhoeven. We will uncover the unexpected connection between Japan and Flanders, and the secret of this closely guarded recipe.

Interview & Photo: Hiroyuki Yamamoto

Rafael De Gendt (General Manager)

Please introduce your company.

Soft gingerbread is a delicacy and soft, local pastry from Belgium's Flanders region. Traditionally, it was loved as an essential at breakfast, but nowadays, it is also loved as a snack when you feel hungry or to refuel while walking or cycling. It is a popular gift as well when we visit family or friends. Heart-shaped ones are a great choice for presents.

Founded in 1867, our company Vondelmolen has a proud history of over 157 years as a family-run soft gingerbread factory, and the current owner, Jan Borms, is the fifth generation. The company was founded right here, in the quiet village of Lebbeke, with a small business consisting of an old windmill, a horse, and a cart.

Thanks to the efforts of the Borms family, who are full of entrepreneurial spirit, Vondelmolen now produces about 7 million kilos of soft gingerbread per year and has grown to become the top manufacturer in Belgium and one of the top three in Europe. The factory covers an area of 10,000 square metres and employs 90 people at any one time.

In the centre of the factory, a red circle is marked on the floor at the site of the windmill where Vondelmolen originated.

 

Do you export to Japan?

More than half of our products are exported overseas, and they are loved not only in neighbouring countries like France, but also in more faraway countries like Japan and Canada.

Recently, I discovered an unexpected connection between Japan and soft gingerbread, which I would like to introduce to you. Actually, I only became the CEO of this company about six months ago, and while looking for a book in the library to learn more about soft gingerbread, I found a book with a bright red windmill and a boy on the cover, titled “A Dog of Flanders.” I’m sure everyone in Japan is quite familiar with the book, as the  animation based on this book was a big hit.

The story is set in Flanders in the mid-1870s, and the main characters are a boy named Nello and his loyal dog Patrasche. It tells us about their tough lives full of hardship and the small pleasures that they sometimes enjoyed. At one point in the story, the boy Nello dreams of eating “Flanders' almond gingerbread”. I couldn't believe my eyes. Our company was founded before the story even began. The soft gingerbread in this scene may have been made by Vondelmolen.

At the very least, the scene of the village children singing and laughing with soft gingerbread in their hands is deeply moving to us who make this traditional delicacy. The young Nello was very poor and always struggled to get enough to eat. So, only occasionally, when he had a little extra money, he could treat himself and his grandfather with a piece of soft gingerbread.

This special delicacy did not just satisfy hunger, but also brought comfort to children living in harsh times. It made them feel warm and brought back happy memories.

...all the children of the village sang and laughed, and ate the big round cakes of Dijon and the almond gingerbread of Brabant...

“A Dog of Flanders” by Louisa De La Ramê (Ouida)

It's hard to imagine how a book written in 1872 was rediscovered by a Japanese person, but I believe they were fascinated by the story of 19th century Flanders. It is a wonderful coincidence that the people of Japan were moved by the image of Nello, who worked pulling a cart with his dog and faced the harsh reality of life.

I am so proud that we are still carefully carrying on the tradition of soft gingerbread, which was eaten by children of Nello's generation.

I've heard that soft gingerbread used to be big brick-like chunks.

It's true that until 20 to 30 years ago, there were larger sizes available, like 2 kg or 5 kg. Nowadays, the standard size is 500 g. There used to be the custom of taking a tin box to the only bakery in a village and asking them to put soft gingerbread in the box. The baker would cut off chunks and put it in the box.

At home, we would take out the soft gingerbread and slice it to eat with each meal. To prevent the sweet-toothed children from reaching for it and having it disappear quickly, it was usually our mother or grandmother who would hold the box and guard it desperately.

The founding family, the reconstructed windmill tower, and a employee working to kneed the dough. 

Current owner Mr. Jan Borms and his pet dog Yuka. Vondelmolen is supporting a humanintarian project Mercy Ships which sends doctors to the regions in difficulty to provide medical aid for children.

Could you tell me the history of soft gingerbread?

Its origins date back to Egypt, about 4,000 years ago. The Egyptians made cakes using grains, honey, and spices. Later on, old documents show us that the Greeks also baked honey-based bread. The ancient Greeks fed this bread to their soldiers during wars because it was so nutritious and had a very long shelf life. As the Roman Empire conquered the world, this bread spread to various regions, and regional variations were created. As the Roman civilization spread Christianity, monasteries mainly played a big role of passing on recipes.

In medieval Europe, spices were rare and expensive, so only wealthy royalty and aristocrats were allowed to eat it. It is said that soft gingerbread was served at the banquet when Marguerite, daughter of the Count of Flanders, married Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy in France, in the 14th century.

At that time, people believed that pepper had special powers and could drive away evil spirits. The Dutch word 'peper' means pepper, and 'koek' means cake (in English it is literally translated as pepper cake). In other words, the name comes from the spices that are the ingredients.

Tell us how your company has evolved.

At first, it was just a windmill and a bakery, typical of the countryside. The founder, Pieter-Jan Borms, had 10 children, so he must have had to bake a lot of bread just to feed his children. He made many kinds of bread and biscuits, but after a while, he started making soft gingerbread, and the reputation for its deliciousness spread to the surrounding villages.

When bakers in other villages asked for advice, Pieter-Jan would kindly teach them, but after a while, they started to ask his fellow bakers, 'I tried it, but it's difficult, so can you make it and sell it to us?' That was the origin of the company that continues to this day.

Of the founder's children, Jozef and Charles-Louis took over the family business. At the time, every village had a brewery, a windmill, and a bakery, but due to the sudden changes in the market and the need for large investments, soft gingerbread bakeries were closing down one after another. However, the Borms family continued to develop the business by buying factories that were closing down.

The old logo was a combination of a windmill and a chaffinch bird. The archives also contain labels and posters from acquired factories.

There must have been times of hardship in its long history?

During World War I, the German army invaded, and the factory was completely destroyed, including the original wooden windmill. The Borms family subsequently rebuilt the factory and built a new windmill, but at some point, it no longer worked and had to be removed. However, as a reminder of the past, a red circle has been painted on the floor where the windmill once stood. It remains the spiritual heart of the factory today.

Gabrielle Vincke also played a major role during the war years. She married Jozef's son, Louis, but her husband died at a young age during World War II, so she took over the business. It was her achievement to rebuild the factory damaged by the war and increase production capacity while preserving the craftsmanship. In the mid-1950s in Belgium, it was unheard of for a female leader to run a company.

Gabriel's son Joz took over the business and bought most of the 140 soft gingerbread factories that remained in the country after the Second World War.

Jan, the fifth generation, was the first to think about developing the company internationally. Under his leadership, Vondelmolen started exporting to 70 countries around the world.

Vondelmolen is the only Belgian company to have survived through such turbulent times. The secret of such long-lasting success lies in the secret recipe of founder Pieter-Jan.

What are the ingredients of soft gingerbread?

The main ingredients are rye flour, sugar, honey, and spices. Those are very simple ingredients. It's healthy because it contains almost no fats, and since no water is added, it does not grow mould and can be stored almost forever. It should be stored in a sealed tin at room temperature and in a dry place.

Rye is used instead of wheat because it has a unique flavour and has health benefits. In addition to the fact that few people have allergic reactions to rye, it also suppresses the digestion and absorption of sugar, which helps to keep blood sugar levels down, and its high fibre content also promotes digestion. It contains two to three times as much fibre as wheat biscuits.

Our products contain no artificial colours or preservatives and are free from genetically modified ingredients.

Production manager Alain Verhoeven explains the special recipe and manufacturing process that has been used since the company's founding.

Production manager Alain Verhoeven whispers quietly to the soft gingerbread. The cut-offs are kept resting for up to a year before being reused.

Alain Verhoeven (Production Manager)

What is special about the recipe?

The corners of the baked soft gingerbread are cut off and shaped before they are packed. These offcuts are never thrown away. They are carefully stored and added to new products. This is our main feature.

Don't take offcuts lightly. It's what gives soft gingerbread its character and even its identity. It plays an essential role in recreating the taste, softness, and rise when baked. They are our heritage or legacy and have been passed down for ages.

I call offcuts “sleeping beauties”. You'll be surprised because they are stored for up to a year on the shelf before they are used. While sleeping, the offcuts slowly mature. The flavour evolves depending on the balance of humidity and dryness, and the influence of the spices. If we didn't use the offcuts, the product would be harder and bland.

Everyone seems to be having fun working in the factory.

That's significant. If the sleeping beauties are stressed, we can't make a good product. On sunny days, on rainy days, and with slight differences in temperature and humidity, the sleeping beauties wake up and fall asleep again. The people who work there must also feel happy and care about the soft gingerbread. If we can continue to work with passion and discipline, the soft gingerbread will come to us and become more delicious.

What drives you to preserve this tradition?

Firstly, we reuse the offcuts, so there is less waste. Also, the products on the store shelves last longer, so we don't waste anything. This contributes to sustainability.

Also, I think that modern people live very complicated lifestyles. We live in a world of overproduction and overconsumption. Human greed has led us astray.

Children in the past only had one piece of soft gingerbread twice a day, in the morning and at night. That was all the energy and nutrition they needed to survive. I think we need to regain that simplicity of food.

Soft gingerbread has been around for centuries. The product itself will never change, but I hope that in the future, the traditional methods and spirit will be rediscovered as new values.

"...Silence...! Don't wake up our sleeping beauties..."

Rafael De Gendt (General Manager)

What is the mission of the company?

To me, there are two answers. First, the unspoken mission, ingrained in our company culture, is to be the best soft gingerbread manufacturer in the world while preserving the artisanal methods. We are proud of the company we have built as a family. And we have a deep affection for the products we continue to make today. We will never sacrifice our history or manufacturing methods for the sake of economic growth.

Another mission is to make the world a better place. It's an idea that came to me after being impressed by the power of this product. Our soft gingerbread is sometimes sent to places in the world where poverty and conflict are a major factor, and they require help. They are nutritious and easy to store, so they can be a powerful force for saving people suffering from hunger. I believe that we can play an important role in making the world a better place.

Although we don't advertise it loudly, Vondelmolen also sponsors humanitarian efforts. One such example is Mercy Ships, which converts old cruise ships into hospitals to provide medical care in areas where there are not enough medical systems. Doctors from all over the world work for free to perform surgery on children suffering from developmental disabilities in Africa, for example. I think that the combination of the products we are proud of, and our values forms the company's mission.

Please leave a message for our Japanese readers.

The friendly relations between Japan and Belgium are wonderful. Our countries have a long history of exchange, and “A Dog of Flanders” is a story that is familiar to everyone in Japan.

By the way, the story features “almond-flavoured gingerbread.” After I read the book, I immediately asked our product development team to look through the old recipe records stored in our company, and we found the original recipe. We are planning to revive this and provide all the Japanese people who love “A Dog of Flanders” with the same soft gingerbread that young Nello ate.

We will be exhibiting Vondelmolen at the 2025 Osaka Expo. I would be thrilled if many of you could come to the Belgian Pavilion and taste Flemish soft gingerbread.

 

Vondelmolen

Factory Address
Dendermondsesteenweg 208, 9280 Lebbeke

Website & Email
https://www.vondelmolen.be

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