Belgium is known far and wide for certain food items – namely beer, chocolate and fries – but there is so much more to its cuisine. Your bucket list for Belgium travel should include everything from mussels in white wine to North Sea prawns, meatballs to French fries, and of course waffles and spicy ‘speculoos’ biscuits. Wash it all down with some Trappist monk beer and your Belgium tourism experience will be complete.

 

National Dish:

Moules et frites – Mussels and Frites (in bucket with wine sauce)

belgium food

Mains:

Balletjes/Boulettes meatballs with fries

Frikadellen met krieken meatballs with cherries

Stoemp mashed potatoes and carrots with bacon and sausages

Stoofvlees beef stew

Konijn met pruimen rabbit cooked in beer and dried plums

Witloof met kaassaus/Chicons au gratin chicory with ham and bechamel sauce

Paling in’t Groen – Eel in green sauce

North Sea prawns

belgium food

Sides:

Frites – French Fries – (actually from Belgium!)

(served with mayonnaise)

Brussels Sprouts

 

Waffles:

Gaufres de Bruxelles (Brussels waffle) dusted with sugar

Gaufres de Liège (Liège waffle) caramelized with sugar

(can be served with strawberries and whipped cream)

belgium food

Dessert:

Cuberdons

Speculoos Spicy cookies

Pom Koek honey and coffee cake

 

Chocolates:

Godiva, Leonidas, Côte d’Or, Guylian, Galler, Marcolini and Neuhaus

 

Beer:

Stella Artois, Duvel, Leffe, Jupiler, Hoegaarden

Trappist Monk: Achel, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Westmalle

Various Names: Vrucht (Forbidden Fruit), Mort Subite (Sudden Death), De Kopstoot (Head Butt), Judas, Delirium Tremens, Stille Nacht (Silent night).

Flavoured: Kriek (sweet and sour cherry beer), Framboise (strawberry beer)

Champagne Beers: Grottenbier, DeuS and Malheur Bière Brut

 

Spirits:

Jenever (Dutch gin): Oude (old, sweet) and Jonge (young, dry)

 


Courtney Gahan is a serial expat, traveller and freelance writer who has bartered with Moroccan marketeers, seen the sun rise at Angkor Wat and elbowed her way through crowds on NYE in NYC

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