An Ode to Speculoos - the best biscuit to have graced humanity

You may think I'm crazy to dedicate a whole blog post to a biscuit, in which case you probably haven't tried them. If you have, eat more. The speculoos is a member of the gingerbread family originating from Belgium and the Netherlands and is my Number One Biscuit. (Other favourites include chocolate chip and snickerdoodle, but they are not special enough for a post.)

The first speculoos of the trip was from Dandoy in Brussels. The taste was spectaculoos, but there was a flaw in the texture in my opinion: the outside was harder than the inside giving it a crust, which would not lend itself to being dunked in tea or coffee. This is one of the reasons I love speculoos so much, so Dandoy lost points in that category. 

Taste - 9, Dunkability - 4, Appearance - 8

Phillip's Biscuits in Antwerp held a pleasant surprise as they sold their traditional speculoos as well as soft speculoos. These lacked the crust, and would have been perfect with a cuppa. 

Traditional speculoos:

Taste - 9, Dunkability - 10, Appearance - 8

Soft speculoos:

Taste - 9, Dunkability - 10, Appearance - 3 (no windmills)

In Amsteram, we found almond speculaas (spelt with two As in the Netherlands). While the taste was good, the almond slivers on the back meant that you couldn't dunk without getting chunks in your tea. 

Taste - 9, Dunkability - 5, Appearance - 7

I searched rigorously at every supermarket for new speculoos, and at Albert Heijn I discovered the caramel variety. Much like a stroopwafel, two round speculaas were sandwiched together with a thin layer of caramel. While we still had these available, I was only allowed one for each blog I posted, therefore increasing my productivity dramatically!

Taste - 10, Dunkability - 10, Appearance - 4 (no windmills)

Market days are always a favourite for the gastronomic splendours to behold. As soon as I saw this speculaas tart I had to try it. The creamy ginger interior was a welcome hidden element. 

Taste - 9, Dunkability - 1 (would almost certainly fall apart, but would go well alongside tea), Appearance - 4 (no windmills)

While the popular brand Lotus provide many countries with decent speculoos, their spread is ingenious. Workers knew for decades that sandwiches made with speculoos and butter in the morning turn into a tasty spread by lunchtime. It's great on bread, crepes, or even on a spoon by itself. 

Taste - 8, Dunkability - 0, Appearance - 3 (no windmills)

In Germany, the biscuit is called spekulatius. Not as spiced as their Dutch neighbours, they are more buttery and definitely moreish, however I much prefer those of Belgium and the Netherlands. 

Taste - 5, Dunkability - 9, Appearance - 9

The Verdict: Phillip's Biscuits' traditional speculoos with a staggering 27 out of a possible 30 points! Marvellous. They are the windmills of my dreams. 

In second place come Albert Heijn caramel speculaas with 24/30. 

German spekulatius score third place with 23/30. 

Have you had a better speculoos? Leave a message in the comments. I can't wait to try it.