# Cuisine-Fusing Sandwiches This Open-Faced Croque Madame Burger is Stacked on a Belgian Waffle By Alyson Wyers | Published 2014-10-02 | Lifestyle Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/croque-madame-burger References: [sploid.gizmodo](http://sploid.gizmodo.com/this-burger-may-look-disgusting-but-its-all-the-food-i-1640746333/%20caseychan) & [pornburger.me](http://pornburger.me/2014/09/26/the-croque-van-damme/) This croque madame burger flawlessly fuses three country cuisines: the [American cheeseburger](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/big-hac-sandwich), a variation on the French croque monsieur and a Belgian waffle. The standard croque monsieur is a [grilled ham and cheese sandwich](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bloody-mary-grilled-cheese) often found in French cafes. Adding a fried or poached egg on top turns it into a croque madame. Known for their over-the-top burger creations, PornBurger crafted the Croque Van Damme -- a "Belgian stack of martial artistry." The croque madame burger consists of a fried duck egg, applewood-smoked gruyere cheese, country ham, double beef patties and a [Belgian liege waffle](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chicken-waffles-sandwich). It also includes parmesan bechamel sauce, dijon mustard and freshly grated nutmeg. The open-faced sandwich is stacked on top of the waffle. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.0/10 - Popularity: 23% | Activity: 30% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Lifestyle](https://www.trendhunter.com/lifestyle) > [Food](https://www.trendhunter.com/food) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Cuisine Fusion:** Restaurants can innovate by creating dishes that fuse different cuisines together, like the Croque Van Damme burger. - **Over-the-top Burgers:** Creating outrageous and unique burgers with unusual ingredients, like duck egg and waffles, can attract attention and interest from food enthusiasts. - **Elevated Comfort Food:** Adding gourmet twists to classic comfort foods, like the croque monsieur, can create a new category of elevated comfort food that appeals to different tastes and preferences. ### Where This Applies - **Restaurant:** Restaurants can capitalize on the trend of cuisine fusion by offering diverse, unique and innovative menu items that combine flavors from different regions. - **Fast Food:** Fast food chains can create limited time offers of over-the-top burgers with unusual ingredients to attract younger demographics and boost sales and traffic. - **Food Service:** Food service companies can partner with chefs and restaurants to develop and distribute new menu items that cater to the demand for gourmet comfort foods in different markets and segments. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Fast-Food Potato Croquette Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/guilty-butter.md) - [Waffle-Based Chicken Sandwiches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/chicken-and-waffle-sandwich.md) - [Grilled Cheese Burger Sandwiches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grilled-cheese-cheeseburger.md) - [Savory Egg Croffles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/croffle-savory.md) - [Fast-Food Croquette Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/croquette-burgers.md) - [All-in-One Breakfast Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cracker-barrel-breakfast-burger.md) - [Savory Croissant-Waffle Dishes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/croffle-house.md) - [Grilled Cheese-Inspired Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/grilled-cheese-steakburger.md) - [Beignet Bun Burgers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/beignet-cheeseburger-sliders.md)