Belgian Cuisine

[HankTank]

Belgian Cuisine.
When talking about European food-cuisines. often it is about French and Mediterranean styles.

Just on top of that area is Belgium, our southern neighbor.

Belgian fries are world-famous. The label "French fries" came up in WW2.
But the real name is Belguin fries, starting in 17th century.
And that is taken very serious !
Lot's of local streetstands still everywhere making their own unique fries from best potatos, not frozen industrial .

Belgian waffels is another thing very famous, but the Belgian baking is not limited to waffels.
We have seen good examples of that in Ontario .

A bit less famous is the traditional cooking in the country. Lot's of varieties in the several regions. Influenced by France and Germany ,with a genuine own style.
Per capita, Belgian has as many Micheline-stars as France.

I worked often in Belgian in the past.
Agree with what my Belgian colleagues said : " We don't talk too much about cooking. We do it " .

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

What are examples of famous Belgian cuisine other than misnamed French fries and deep pocket waffles?

 

[GinnyPNW]

My Belgian friend raves about the seafood. Don't ask me more about it. I do not know.

 

[dragnlaw]

Mussels

 

[HankTank]

Difficult to name one Belgian speciality here, because there are many.
Some might familiar with dishes across the boarders . But like the French, for Belgians all organs from the animal are fit to eat.
"Water-rabbit" is muskrat.

Not sure if alcohol is permitted here ?
If not I will remove text about it.

There are several other types of beer besides the "Trappists".
A "Trappist" is brewed in a monastery by monks. There are 10 monasteries.

Some other monasteries have outsourced their brewing to large commercial breweries. They keep control on the process . That beer is called Abyss-beer, not allowed to be called Trappist anymore.
The "West Vleteren"- beer is a real Trappist. Can only be bought by ordering in advance, one crate at the time. Several international culi-magazines call this the best beer in the world.
I have never tasted it, but do buy a Abyss once in a while. And that simply tastes ...Divine !

Too much culi ?
Solution in that case might be the "Mitraillette ":
French bread with chips, hamburger , salad and sauce by choice.
Origine Brussels-area.

Beer:

Trappists - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Cuisine:

Belgian cuisine - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[fmw]

Waterzooi is a well known Belgian seafood stew. I haven't made it but it is a traditional Flemish dish.

 

[taxlady]

Waterzooi is a well known Belgian seafood stew. I haven't made it but it is a traditional Flemish dish.

Have you tried it? What was it like?

 

[fmw]

Have you tried it? What was it like?

Yes I have and it was like a seafood stew with mussels, shrimp and fish filet in a creamy broth. It was very nice. Put one together and let us know how it went.

 

[GinnyPNW]

My Belgian friend raves about the seafood. Don't ask me more about it. I do not know.

So, I pointed out this thread to my friend, I guess he is too shy to post....this is the reply:

<<I read the articles under that thread, sounds pretty funny some things.
I am not a real active forum poster. But perhaps you can post some:

I am looking from a Flemish perspective. Our Walloon friends have also very good dishes but I am not up to date about these I am afraid. They have great cheeses, ardennes sausages, good stews and wine and spirits. So definately a plus.

For Flanders:
- Waterzooi is a stew with chicken, celery, carrot and potatoes. Its mainly a soup with these ingredients.
- We eat frites and not French or Belgian fries wit mayonaise.
- We eat beefstew made with a good dark beer or trappist.
- We eat rabbit with prunesgravy and beersauce. Rabbit is not the so called 'waterrabbit".
- We also eat raw chopped filet steak with and egge and mayonaise. Steak tartare.
- We eat raw pigmeat on a sandwich with pepper and small pickled silveronions.
- Steak frites is a national dish.
- We eat almost with every dish potatoes and and vegetable besides the piece of meat or fish
- Bloodsausage (which is dark pork sausage with pork blood, baked with applesaus and potatoes.
- The waffles, I dont know where that comes from. We are not famous for waffles. Its a tourist trap.
- There are numerous dishes from the country such as soups, veggetables on a certain way, vlierbessen siroop, numerous craft beers and ales (+1000) and 6 Belgian trappists where West vleteren is the only one that is not available in the shops.
At the end, we are ancestors of the Burgundians and like to eat and drink.


different facts huh )
Bonne appetit>>

 

[dragnlaw]

Tell him Thank You!
We will all sleep wiser tonight.

 

[Badjak]

There's all kind of charcuterie as well. Good patè & dried ham (ardennerham)
Then carbonade de flamand (think boeuf bourgignon, but with beer) moules frites, and plenty more that I can't think of right now

 

[dragnlaw]

Time to go for a visit!