1. Sweet and sour beef stew (Zoervleisj)

Let's start with a classic: slowly braised meat in a slightly sweet, rich sauce. Traditionally prepared with beef (and sometimes horse meat), stewed with apple syrup and vinegar until the meat becomes wonderfully tender. Zoervleisj with fries feels like coming home, even if it's your first time sitting down to enjoy it.

You can find this delicious traditional dish on the menu at De Kompenie and 'T Aod Kloaster.

2. Limburg pie

No visit to our region is complete without a delicious slice of Limburg pie. Limburg pie is a handcrafted masterpiece of pastry and filling. At local bakeries you'll discover different varieties time and again, all baked with care and craftsmanship.

Tip: enjoy it with a cup of coffee on a sunny terrace after a morning walk.

Or bake your own Limburg pie at Beleefbakkerij Gerards-Steeghs.

3. Nonnevotten

Around carnival you'll find nonnevotten in almost every bakery. These deep-fried twisted pastries are coated with a light layer of sugar, crisp on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. They're traditionally enjoyed during winter and spring, but once you've tasted one, chances are you'll enjoy them with your coffee all year round.

4. Balkenbrij

A traditional dish you'll mainly come across in winter. What once started as a practical way to make sure nothing from the annual pig slaughter went to waste has become a regional speciality full of character. Made from richly seasoned broth and pork, the mixture is sliced and fried until it develops a crispy crust. Often served with bread and apple syrup: simple, hearty and honest.

Would you like to try this special delicacy? Balkenbrij is available at Livar.

5. Roerdaler Gagel Beer

Beer lovers will also discover something special in Hart van Limburg. Roerdaler Gagel Beer owes its distinctive spicy flavour to sweet gale, a marsh plant that was once widely used as an alternative to hops.

Today, the plant grows in only a handful of places in the Netherlands and is listed as a protected species. In De Meinweg National Park, a small amount of sweet gale may be harvested each year with permission from Staatsbosbeheer. During a special harvesting day, brewers, nature guides and enthusiasts head into the park together to collect the plant's male buds.

The beer is then brewed locally on a small scale. The result is a distinctive regional beer that revives a centuries-old brewing tradition.

Would you like to taste it? This beer is available at Boerderijhoeve Schurenhof and VVV Roermond, among other locations.

6. Christoffel Cake

Perhaps less well known, but a delightful surprise for chocolate lovers: Christoffel Cake. Layers of airy meringue alternate with creamy chocolate mousse, topped with a generous layer of chocolate shavings. The cake is named after Roermond, the city where it originated and where the impressive Saint Christopher Cathedral dominates the skyline.

Would you like to try it? This cake is available at Banketbakkerij-Lunchroom In de Kroon.

7. Asparagus

In spring, the landscape changes as fields fill with asparagus beds where growers harvest fresh asparagus every day. The dish itself may not be exclusively Limburg, but in Hart van Limburg it tastes as though it has been picked especially for you. Fresh from the field, often served with ham and egg, or featured in contemporary seasonal dishes that let you savour the flavours of the region.

Curious about asparagus recipes, places to enjoy asparagus or cycling routes past asparagus fields? We've gathered everything for you in one place.