Shrimp and Horse Fishermen (Oostduinkerke, Belgium)

June 28, 20253987 Views Belgian Coast, West Flanders 9 min read

The horse fishermen of Oostduinkerke, who fish for shrimp, were added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2013. Shrimp fishing involves dragging a net behind an out-sized horse. On the horse, in addition to the fisherman, rest 2 woven baskets in which the catch is temporarily stored. A horse fisherman typically wears a yellow oil jacket, high boots and a southwester. After fishing, the shrimp are cooked in large metal vessels. The shrimp are then peeled by hand and degusted with a regional beer. A typical beer drunk with this is the sweet and sour "Rodenbach". If you want it a little sweeter, take the "Rodenbach Grand Cru".

Tip: At top.vlaanderen you can also find more info on the hops used in beer or the Flemish Estaminets & Belgian beer culture.

The tastiest, best shrimp are the ones you can get directly from the horse fisherman. Furthermore, you can also buy "live versch-ke" (as they can only say in West Flemish dialect so unctuous when they mean "day-fresh") at the typical fish stalls along the coastline (e.g. at the fish ladder in Ostend). It is doubtful if they are still "alive" after they are cooked, but bon. 😉 Not to be recommended are the ones you buy in the supermarket: they usually have preservatives added to them and are often flown to some Maghreb country to be peeled there. They are often a bit on the tough side and too much salted. And yes, before we forget, the type of shrimp caught in the North Sea is the "common shrimp", also called "shrimp".

A typical dish that you can get in many Belgian restaurants is the "tomato shrimp." When properly prepared, it consists of a large beef tomato (that has been stripped of its skin and inner flesh) stuffed with delicious shrimp. The tomato is normally served on a few leaves of lettuce and with homemade mayonnaise. The Belgian fries close the dish perfectly. Available in most places, just often poorly executed. Pity, but is a fact. A correctly executed tomato-shrimp can never be cheap: the basic product alone costs money, all the manual operations involved in making the dish as well.

Another typical Flemish dish that is available almost everywhere are the "shrimp croquettes": they are little rolls that have bechamel sauce and shrimp as a filling, sometimes with additional fish stock for an extra pronounced taste. You can come taste them at the annual Shrimp Festival. Every year the Shrimp Festivities of Oostduinkerke are organized. It is during these festivities that the Belgian Shrimp Spelling Championship is also organized.

Did you know that the famous hike "4-Day of the Yser" was founded in 1967 by ... yes: the Royal Order of the Horsefisher. At that time, the hike lasted only one day. Later, the Belgian Army took over the organization but the Royal Order of the Horsefisher is still a member of the organizing committee.

One last fact: note that officially you should speak of a "horse fisher," i.e., with an "n." In contrast, the traditional fraternity is still called "Order of the Horse Fisherman," without an "n." This is a historical fact. It's just a fact!

Tip 1: If You are interested in tasty shrimp croquette recipes, we recommend the book "The Shrimp Croquette - The story of the tastiest from the North Sea in a crispy crust." It was published in October 2021 by Uitgeverij Borgerhoff & Lamberigts (ISBN 978946395708). You can also obtain this book from, for example, the Ostend Tourist Office.

Tip 2: when you are at the coast anyway, you can possibly extend your visit by going to see works of art displayed along the Belgian coastline. See our page about the Beaufort Triennial.

OOSTDUINKERKE-BAD Belgium

Indication of the location on the map of Top.Flanders.
Indication of the location on Google Maps.
Facebook of the Paardenvissers.
Calendarof the Paardenvissers on horseback.
Information about the Paardenvissers in Oostduinkerke in Wikipedia.
Web site of the Royal Order of Horse Fishermen.
Information on the Common Shrimp in Wikipedia.
Information on the Tomato Shrimp in Wikipedia.
Recipe for shrimp croquettes on Njam! TV.
Recipe for tomato shrimp on VTM.