The Heart of the Low Countries

Much of the land for some distance inland is either below sea level or just slightly above it, hence the ‘low’ in Low Countries, but also the name Flanders. ‘Flemish’ and ‘Flanders’ come from the Low German flauma, for flooded land, because the area is a landscape of polders and moors. This influences the growing of hardier crops, such as rye, barley and buckwheat, which in turn influences the development of the baking culture.