Belgium Food- Savory and Delicious All The Way

Belgium is considered one the top tourist attractions not only in Europe but in the entire world. They have everything for a tourist to roam around and gaze in excitement. The most significant concern for a tourist is food. Belgium comes out with flying colours with its Belgium food, which is considered the most delicious apart from their beer and drinks, which is always a part of the meal. In other words, Belgian food has French quality and is served in German quantity, which is overwhelming.

10 Best Belgium Food to Try

Found below are their top ten food cuisines which are not only popular but also tasty!

1. Belgian fries

When one talks about ' Fries,' it is pretty natural to attach a prefix to it and call it ' French Fries.' But the truth is different from the myth. Certain strange co-incidences lead to this belief. American soldiers in WW1 were stationed in Belgium, but they thought they were in France. Moreover, French was a common language spoken in Belgium. 

They tasted the delicacy and called it French Fries, and that is a Belgium fact! The French started their Fries almost a century later. Belgian fries differ from the recipe of the French. The fries should not be soft, not unfrozen before frying. 

The potatoes are fried twice to make them one cm thick. In Belgium, they serve it with a sauce that has also become the practice worldwide. It is considered the tastiest side dish, and it’s added to UNESCO's list of cultural dishes since 2014. Would it be surprising if someone told you that a museum is dedicated to 'Belgian Fries’? Do visit the 'Friet Museum ' in Bruges, Belgium to know more.

2. Belgium Chocolate

Belgian traditions ring in yet another delicacy, and that's Belgian chocolate. There is nothing weird about chocolate makers worldwide making them and paste a label ' Belgian Chocolate' around it. The point is, imitations are imitations, and you taste this gourmet in Belgium.

 In a country filled with chocolatiers, how can anyone possibly choose one? You order coffee or tea; you would receive a few Belgian chocolates with it, and that is a Belgian food fact.

3. Grey shrimp Croquettes

You can do your best to avoid Grey Shrimp Croquettes which is pure Belgium food but you are sure to fail. They are such a delicacy, and they can be found in every seafood restaurant in Belgium. You need not order for them as they are included in the menu, and these crustaceans arrive in a small bowl for you to snack on. 

The shrimps, which are grey, are harvested by fisherman who travels by horseback. Croquettes made from scratch have an exterior that can be crispy.

4. Carbonade flamand eor stoofvlees

A steak and an ale stew, Sweet & Sour, has a typical recipe but many variations. The variations exist because families hand it over to their immediate generation, and that generation is doing the same. These Belgium food recipes do have certain ingredients in common like

• Bread
• Bacon
• Shallots
• Carrots and mushrooms
• Red wine and perhaps a pinch of dark chocolate too!

To keep the meat tender and the flavor intact, the cooking process is deliberately kept slow after marinating them. 

 To enhance the taste of Carbonade Flamand eor stoofvlees, it's best to have it with French Fries, noodles, and vegetable salads with a mug filled with beer.

5. Sole meunière

Fish dishes are plenty in Belgium, but only a few can be called classic like the Sole meunière. ‘Meunier’ means ' Miller's wife,' and this refers to the process. The fish is dipped in seasoned flour and then fried using a pan containing minimum butter. 

As per tradition, it has to be a brown butter sauce and to obtain that rich taste, lemon juice and chopped parsley are added. The Belgians and the French make it tastier by adding a few potatoes or boiled Frites as Belgian desserts.

6. Chicon Au Gratin

Some of the more popular Food like Chicon au gratin can be found in every nook and corner of the streets but not in the a-la-carte of a restaurant. The Endive is a vegetable leaf, and a Flemish specialty is a key ingredient. 

Generally, the Endive can be found in appetizers, soups, etc. To make up the dish, prime boiled ham acts combined with leafy vegetables and the regional cheese. It gets served with mashed potatoes. It would be noteworthy to mention that the Endives that are being sold in the USA are imported by Belgium only.

7. Filet Americain

You can order a Filet Americain in Belgium and react with a shock to see cold and seasoned raw minced beef served in place of a juicy steak for this is the Belgium food version. Lean seasonings are added to the steak to enhance its flavors. The various seasonings are done with

• Mustard
• Ketch- up
• salt
• Pepper
• Egg yolk
• Picked union.

There are two ways one can enjoy the Filet Americain. The first option is to spread it evenly on toasted bread. The second is to eat it as part of the main course with pickles and Frites accompanying it. When this dish is ordered in a Belgium restaurant, you can witness it near your table and choose one of the two options above.

8. Moules Frites

Ask any Belgian to name a famous Belgiam food specialty! Also, ask them if they have not had Moules Frites recently. The answer would be ' No'! The fact is that 30 million tons of Moules Frites get consumed every year in Belgium.

 In other words, that's an average of 3 kgs per Belgian per year. There are many ways to cook and consume these. Some cook them in white wine, and some use parsley or butter. A few skip the wine and prefer the Belgian drinks, say a beer with a dash of cream and vegetable stock added to it. 

It was in 1781 that they combined mussels and Frites in a dish. The Frites are fried twice to retain their crispness. Since its availability is everywhere, neither can you avoid them nor should you try avoiding them; A Belgium visit is considered incomplete without them.

9. Stoemp

With Potatoes dominating the mix of vegetables, all are mashed up together. The other vegetables included in this Belgian food are

• Kale
• Endive
• Carrots
• Onions
• Spinach
• Many Greens.
• Turnips
• Spinach.

It would not be a bad idea to add milk/cream to this mix.

10. Paling In't Green

A dish which can become more enjoyable provided you have some bread and Frites alongside it. Paling In't Groen is a dish celebrated through a long passage of time by the Belgian Dutch (Flemish). The green sauce has eels in it which is the exact translation of Paling In't Groen. 

Going by Belgium Traditions, these were eels caught in the River Scheldt which flowed in-between Dendermonde and the port city of Belgium Antwerp. The green herbs that went into the mix in the olden days were found in the riverbank. With the passage of time, a sauce created with a planned bunch of herbs that include

• Chervil
• Mint,
• Sorrel,
• Watercress,
• Parsley
• Thyme.

The secret is making the sauce is that it should be made after everything else is set up. The reason is that the vibrant color disappears quickly. 

 

Frequently asked questions

 

• Is Belgiam Food good?

There is no doubt that Belgian food happens to be the closest to their heart for many. Chocolate, waffles, Belgium fries are the tastiest, and when they coupled with Belgian desserts, it's the most delectable combination. Belgian drinks are always a part of the meal. 

• What is a typical Belgian breakfast?

The typical Belgian early morning breakfast is similar to its neighboring country, the Netherlands. It is a Belgian food fact that they do not eat their most famous Belgian food, waffles a snack available in tourist areas of their large cities traditionally. As per Belgium traditions, breakfast consists of loaves of bread that may be toasted/untoasted, with many marmalades with various jams and chocolate. Standard toppings include cheese and sliced meats. On Sundays, it's a different breakfast altogether with croissants and Pastries, but repeats are avoided strictly.

• What is Belgium famous for?

Apart from the fact that Belgium is famous for its food, it's one of the European countries packed with tourist attractions. They are preserved perfectly, and some are many centuries old, which narrate the cultural heritage of Belgium and its cities. Some are:

1. Grand Place, Brussels
2. The Canals and Belfry of Bruges
3. The Battlefields of Flanders
4. Ghent's Gravensteen and Old Town
5. Horta Museum and Town Houses
6. Cathedral of Saint Bavo, Ghent
7. Basilica of the Holy Blood, Bruges
8. Grand Place Antwerp

• What are Belgium Famous food ?
• Belgian Fries
• Moules-Frites
• Stoemp
• Grey shrimp Croquettes
• Speculaas
• Belgian Waffles
• Waterzooi
• Belgian Chocolates
• Tomates aux Crevettes Grises
• Sirop de Liege