I’m sure you already know what foods are associated with Belgium: waffles, beer, and chocolate! But did you know that fries are Belgian too, not French! There aren’t a lot of hidden gems when it comes to Belgian food, but I think that is because it is all so good that we know about it already! Like seriously, the waffles are out of this world. Even when you buy it packaged in a grocery store it is still 100 times better than the waffles we have at home. If you aren’t familiar with Belgium cuisine, then let me introduce you! Here is how to eat your way through Belgium!
Belgian Waffles
Those waffles that you eat at the hotel continental breakfast or go to fundraisers to eat, those are Belgian waffles, well at least the most Belgian waffles can be in the United States. It’s everyone’s favorite, those thick waffles with a crunchy outside and warm inside, right? What if I tell you that Belgian waffles get more complex than that! In Belgium there are a few different kinds of waffles but the most popular are the Brussels style and the Liège style.
Look at the first picture, the one in front is the Liege and the one is the back is the Brussels. The Liege is made with what resembles more of dough than a batter and has pearl sugar that caramelizes in and around it when it cooks. This one is my favorite, which makes sense because I have always been more of a sweet roll than cake person. The Brussels waffle is more typical to what we consider to be Belgian waffles in the United States. It is made with a yeasted batter and has that distinct crunchy crust.
Now here is the fun part. In Belgium they don’t put butter and maple syrup on their waffles like we do. They will put nearly any topping you can think of on it though. Chocolate is a pretty common one as well as cream, candy, nuts, caramel, powdered sugar, and sprinkles (like my smurf waffle in the picture on the right). Going to Belgium, you have to try all the different types of waffles and toppings. It is truly Belgian and not just a stereotype. They are known for their waffles for a reason!
Belgian Chocolate
Here is something you need to know about me: I am a huge fan of European chocolate. I will 9 out of 10 times choose the European chocolate when given a choice between all the chocolate in the world. It is so milky and not quite as chalky or sugary as the chocolate in the United State. It is unfair for me to group all European chocolate in one category though because what I did learn from this trip to Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland is that they all have their own distinct chocolate, so what makes Belgian chocolate unique?
First lets start with some Belgian history. Belgium was one of the European countries colonizing Africa in the early 1900’s and it managed to take over the Congo which is where it imported most of its cocoa from. Before then, Belgium would get it from the Spanish who would import cocoa from its American colonies. Belgium created it chocolate separate from the other European countries. Belgian chocolate tends to have a higher cocoa percentage, this means its more similar to what we would consider dark chocolate. The higher the percentage, the more dark it will taste. Other features of their chocolate is the high amount of pure cocoa butter where as in the US we tend to use substitutes for this important ingredient. It also uses a very fine grind of the cocoa beans and has an extensive conching process.
There are many ways you can experience Belgian chocolate. You can get it on your waffle or maybe you are craving a hot chocolate. These are great ways to incorporate Belgian chocolate into your meals in Belgium. Or you can just buy the chocolate. Belgium is well known for its pralines created by Jean Neuhaus in 1912. These chocolates consist of a soft inside and hard outside and can be bought chocolate shops around the country. Grocery stores also sell amazing brands of Belgian chocolate from my favorite Côte d’Or, to Leonidas and Godiva. There are so many great chocolates to try in Belgium.
Frituur
If you have read my post about Belgium then you probably have heard me talk about Frituur. There are two parts to this recommendation: the first being fries and second being the frituur way of eating them. Belgium prides themselves in their fries. They are a thick cut fried twice to give them their crunchy outside and soft inside. They can be bought as a street food with a side of mayonnaise or served as the side to any main dish. Just make sure that no matter what, you don’t call them French fries. In Belgium they are fries or “frites” as they originated in Belgium and not France contrary to popular belief.
Now lets dig into frituur. Frituur is essentially a selection of fried foods. You always start with a very large portion of fries with a variety of toppings. Mayo is the most common sauce, but a curry ketchup is great as well and you can even do both. I also like onions on mine too! As for the rest of the foods you get with you fries in frituur can vary. It can range from fried meats, to fried cheeses, to pretty much fried anything. This is a chance to get out of your comfort zone a little bit. It is easy as an American to go with the fried cheese and chicken, but I would urge you to try something new, because the chances are you will like it because anything is good fried! These fried foods are a big part of Belgian culture and isn’t something you will find anywhere else in Europe. Like seriously, I came across a meat vending machine! It was a self serve frituur basically. We called it the wall meat. Now that is all that needs to be said. Try frituur!
Beef Stew (Stoofvlees)
I forgot to take a picture of this one because Wina’s parents made it homemade for me, so enjoy this AI depiction of it. Now I want to preface my explanation of this stew by saying I don’t eat beef. I am not a beef fan and never really have been. Its a taste and a texture thing for me. I will try beef when I am abroad learning about and trying new dishes, for example I had beef in Spain and didn’t mind it. I think the meat is actually a lot better is Europe so I am much more open to it, but at home I will never order anything with beef. I knew this stew was very famous in Belgium before I left and when Wina said her dad wanted to make it for me I was not going to put up any complaint. I was going to be a good guest and try it. It turns out I liked it! The only beef I have ever liked is corned beef, but this was really good! If I thought about it too hard it freaked me out because the idea of eating beef is so taboo to me at this point, but if I focused just on the taste, I was in heaven. So now, what is this beef stew?
The most important ingredient is of course the chunks of meat. This meat as well as onions and other vegetables are then cooked in a Belgian ale. There are so many to choose from and every Belgian has their favorite that they use for this stew. To give it its sweet and savory taste brown sugar, mustard, and other spices are add to the stew as well. The vegetables and spices with vary based off who ever is making it but this is the most typical base of the stew. Often times bread is added to the stew to make it thicker or even jams or beef brother can be added for a unique taste. This is a Belgian classic and you can’t visit Belgium without trying this at least once!
Belgian Beer—> Fruit Beer
You can basically find any kind of beer to exist brewed in Belgium. It is in fact their thing. I have never been much of a fan of ales or IPAs. They are a bit bitter for my liking but you have to drink it when a Belgian buys you one at the football game! The Belgians take pride in their production (and consumption) of beer. The beer tradition traces all the way back to medieval times when it was safer to keep and drink beer than water. Two of the most popular beers came from this time: Trappist and Abbey beers. What makes these uniqieuly Belgian is their complex flavors as the Belgians have tried all sorts of ways to mix up their beers. They are also very carbonated giving them a refreshing flavor as well as a higher ABV. The yeast and the fermentation process is slightly different which can impact the taste too. Now this is where I will stop explaining beer because I am not a beer expert, so if you are a beer person you should really look into all the different types of ales and what makes them unique.
For those who just want to drink something that tastes good like me, then here is my suggestion. Because I find regular ales to be a bit bitter I tried fruit beer. My thought when I first tried it was that it would be like a fruit bitter, so I was a bit hesitant because that doesn’t really alter the flavor or make it sweeter. It just gives a hint of fruitiness to the beer. That is not what fruity beer is in Belgium. Its flavor resembles more of a cider except it is still beer. This completely changed the beer game for me. Here I was in Belgium nervous that I didn’t drink beer, but then I found one of my new favorite drinks. I can’t remember the brands or names of everything I drank because I had a Belgian ordering everything for me, but if you are wanting to try a fruit beer in Belgium you can ask at any bar what they have for a fruit beer and I am sure they would be more than willing to give you some suggestions. I just remember having a cherry beer that was absolutely amazing. After some research I think it is maybe Lindeman’s Kriek, which is a cherry Lambic. If not, this is something for you to try!
McDonald’s (Just Kidding… kind of)
Yeah this one is just joke. I just had to throw it in there because I love going to McDonald’s in every new country I visit. It is always fun to see what items are different on the menu and how the fries differ. I will say McDonald’s in Ireland and Belgium have had the best fries. I also love the different McFlurry options and in Belgium you can get some with the country’s signature chocolates and candies. You can take this suggestion literally or as a joke. I won’t judge either way. I think it can be a cultural experience for you or the people with you. My Belgians got a kick out of going to McDonald’s with an American! Its a great cultural exchange!
That’s a wrap on all the great foods you have to try in Belgium. I am sure you have heard of many of these before, but I hope now you have a better understanding of what really makes them Belgian. I have always said that Belgium is an underrated country and their delicious food is just another argument to support this. If this has inspired you to learn more about this amazing country please check out my Belgium page for more stories from Belgium and the destinations you have to visit!
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