The Cuisine of Belgium

When I think of Belgium, three words come to mind - chocolate, waffles, and beer. Well known for these specialties, and for having some of Europe’s classiest restaurants, Belgium is a gastronomical paradise where travelers of all budget types may delight in French-influenced cuisine made unique.

Mussels, another Belgian specialty cooked in white wine then scooped into your mouth, or eaten with fries (or frites, also a national specialty), are a common yet delicious snack. It’s as commonplace in Belgium to see folks walking by with plates of mussels and frites as it is to see people munching on fish and chips in London. Speaking of chips, it’s said that French Fries were actually invented in Belgium; true nor not, a basket of Belgian frites may ruin all future fast food fry encounters for you, though you’ll likely be OK with that. Belgium has more than 400 outdoor vendors - or frietkots -where you can load up on frites and a variety of dipping sauces (mayonnaise is the most common frites-friendly condiment in Belgium.)

Those who agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day will be happy to wake up early in Belgium for a plate of those famous Belgian Waffles. Belgian Waffles are made with special waffle irons only available in Belgium, which is why you haven’t had a real Belgian Waffle until you’ve had one here. Waffles can be feasted upon in cafes and restaurants all over the country. The “Brussels” waffle is often doused in toppings like chocolate, whipped cream, sugar, or strawberries. If you find yourself hankering for a crunchy, yet gooey-soft waffle while strolling around, outdoor waffle vendors are happy to oblige. They sell the “Leige” waffle, which, in contrast to the “Brussels” waffle is baked with a burned sugar coating, making them both sweet and portable.

RealTraveler Focus2Focus feasted on a pile of tempting waffles while touring Brussels, and also made sure not to miss another Belgian culinary specialty: Belgian chocolate. He writes:

“The waffles with chocolate sauce are to die for and were a highlight of my trip. Just make sure you have plenty of tissues to wipe up the mess around your mouth… But the one thing that you must not leave without is of course, Belgium Chocolates. Here is a tip for you, buy your chocolates at a supermarket, same quality - way cheaper.” (more…)

With over 2,000 chocolate shops throughout Belgium, remembering to pick some up while you’re here is easy. Belgian chocolate is some of the best in the world, largely because chocolatiers still make chocolate using Old World techniques, often by hand inside small shops. Belgian chocolate pralines are a sumptuous specialty; rich pieces of chocolate filled with a variety of delicious nougats, creams or fruits. Bruges is home to several famous chocolate shops, like Chocolatier Pralinette and Sukerbuyc, and in Brussels you’ll find Chocolat Manon, La Maison du Chocolat Artisanal, and Wittamer, among others. Godiva and Neuhaus are also based in Belgium. If you’re in Belgium in April, check out the Chocolate Festival in Bruges, a four-day chocolate extravaganza in which chocolate makers and chocolate lovers come together for one common purpose - to appreciate chocolate.

Once you’ve stuffed yourself with mussels, frites, waffles, and chocolate, you’re going to need something to wash these delicious Belgian specialties down with. Luckily, Belgium makes over 400 kinds of beer, and they do it very well. Belgian beer making is taken very seriously, with hundreds of breweries crafting specialty beers that, when they reach the pubs, can only be served in specialty glasses (RealTravelers Sarah and Liz, for example, drank a beer called ‘Sudden Death’ out of mug shaped like a human skull!) Bruges, Brussels, and Antwerp are great cities for pub-hopping, where you can try everything from fruit flavored beer, to chocolate beer, to Trappist beer, to Belgium’s famous Lambic beer. A great way to taste a bit of everything is to book a brewery tour, or to spend a day at one of the many beer fairs or festivals.

Sarah and Liz embarked on a Belgium beer tour on their recent trip, first stopping to taste Belgium’s other famous foods. Here’s an excerpt from their travel blog, Waffles, Fries, Chocolate, and Beer:

“After settling in we decided to go on a hunt for waffles, fries, chocolate, and Belgian beer. We took the train to down town, as soon as we got off the train towards the Grand Palace Square we smelled waffles and fries! We b-lined to the first concession stand and purchased fries. (Did you know French fries were invented here?)…in Belgium they serve fries (frites) with mayo and ketchup. Don’t knock it till you try it! They were yummy. A few hundred feet later, we found ourselves at the waffle stand and bought our first Belgian waffle. It was delicious! Now, off to find the third thing on our list- Belgian beer.

The first stop on our Belgian Beer Crawl was a place called ‘A La Morte Subite’, or ‘Sudden Death’. The establishment actually serves a beer called Sudden Death so we were intrigued to say the least. We all tried a variation of the Sudden Death, my favorite was the Kriek, or cherry flavored beer. We had one round and headed out for our next stop on the Belgian Beer Crawl…A place called Le CERCUEL, or ‘The Coffin’…” (more…)

Feeling hungry? Check out the links below for more tasty stories from Belgium, as well as tips to plan your next trip to this culinary paradise.

RealTravel Food Stories
Mussels in Brussels by Jen24
Mussels, French Fries, Organic Lasagna, and Tall Ships by JustinInSpain
Waffles, Fries, Chocolate, and Beer by Sarah and Liz
The land of beer, waffles, and chocolate by Stace
Shopping and Frits by Kerry Taylor

Travel Guides, Travel Blogs, and More…
Belgium Travel Guide
Bruges Travel Guide
Brussels Travel Guide

Belgian Tourist Office - Food
Vegetarian Restaurants in Belgium
Belgian Food, Cuisine
Belgium Beer Festivals
Belgium for Chocolate Lovers

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