Belgian cuisine is based on the traditions of the Dutch, French and German culinary schools. In addition, it was influenced by medieval cooking: some dishes are a mixture of sweet and salty or sweet and sour tastes (when cooking, they are flavored with herbs, mustard, spices).
National cuisine of Belgium
Soups are popular in Belgium: pea soup with smoked ham, champignon soup, salmon fish stew. They often cook oysters in a decoction of celery, fried mussels, rabbit in beer, salty pies with cheese, meat with mustard and honey with a spicy fruit sauce.
A special role in the country is given to chocolate - here you can taste not only black and white, but also chocolate with thyme, lemon balm or basil, as well as visit chocolate restaurants where they enjoy goose pâté with dark chocolate and wine, fish with chocolate sauce, ice cream with hot chocolate sauce.
Popular Belgian dishes:
- “Waterzoy” (eel dish with nettle, tarragon and mint sauce);
- “La tomato-shrimp” (a dish of shrimps and tomatoes, dressed with mayonnaise);
- “Brussels medallions” (they are made from pork or beef liver);
- "Flemish carbonate" (pork or beef tenderloin soaked in beer and fried with prunes);
- "Flamish" (a dish of stewed chicken with grapes).
Where to taste the national cuisine?
Many establishments have been opened in Belgium, where they prepare Belgian dishes and dishes based on the national cuisine. If you decide to visit local coffee shops and pastry shops, here you can order invigorating coffee or Belgian chocolate, as well as enjoy the most delicate pastries.
Do you want to save money? Pay attention to the local fast food - french fries with mayonnaise (frits), which are sold at the respective kiosks (deep coats).
Those who are going to go to food establishments should take into account that they usually open at 12:00 and work until 15:00, after which they close until dinner (it lasts from 18:00 to 22:00, after which you can eat in bars working until midnight).
In Brussels, take a look at “C'est Bon C'est Belge” (here you will be offered to enjoy the original Belgian home-made cuisine in the form of meatballs with tomato sauce, volovanov and chocolate mousse), in Bruges - in “t'Huidevettershuis” (guests are treated to branded dishes in the form of Flemish soup, homemade ham and fried rabbit), in Antwerp - in “Matty” (many dishes in this Belgian restaurant are seasonal, which means that when ordering such dishes, you can be sure that they will be prepared for you with the freshest ingredients).
Cooking courses in Belgium
In one of the Brussels restaurants, you will be invited to attend a cooking course, where you will learn how to cook Flemish fish soup, Liege salad from potatoes, rabbit, braised in beer and other dishes.
Arrival in Belgium can be arranged for the Festival “Taste of Antwerp” (August), Brussels Chocolate Week (November), French Fries Festival (Brussels, November-December), Gastronomic Festival “Culinaria” (Brussels, May-June), Chocolate Festival (Bruges, November-December).
