Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Lapin à la f lamande:
Marinated rabbit braised in onions and
prunes.
Soupe à la bière:
Beer soup.
Stoemp:
Mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Waterzooi:
Creamy meat stew (chicken, eel, or fish).
...à la flamande:
Anything cooked in the local Flemish style.
Brussels Specialties
These specialties are “native” to Brussels (which tends toward
French cuisine), but you'll find them in Bruges, too.
Anguilles au vert:
Eel in green herb sauce.
Caricoles:
Sea snails. Very local, seasonal, and hard to find, these
are usually sold hot by street vendors.
Cheeses:
Remoudou and Djotte de Nivelles are made locally
.
Choux de Bruxelles:
Brussels sprouts (in cream sauce).
Crevettes:
Shrimp, often served as croquettes (minced and stuffed
in breaded, deep-fried rolls).
Croque monsieur:
Grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich.
Endive:
Typical Belgian vegetable (also called
chicoree
or
chicon
)
served as a side dish.
Filet américain:
Beware—for some reason, steak tartare (raw) is
called “American.”
Tartine de f fromage blanc:
Open-face cream-cheese sandwich, often
enjoyed with a cherry Kriek beer.
...à la brabançonne:
Anything cooked in the local Brabant
(Brussels) style, such as
faisant
(pheasant)
à la brabançonne.
Desserts and Snacks
Cramique:
Currant roll.
Craquelin:
Currant roll with sugar sprinkles.
Dame blanche:
Hot-fudge sundae.
Gaufres:
Waffles, sold hot in small shops.
Pistolets:
Round croissants.
Pralines:
Filled Belgian chocolates.
Spekuloos:
Spicy gingerbread biscuits served with coffee.
Belgian Beers
Belgium has about 120 different varieties of beer and 580 differ-
ent brands, more than any other country...and the locals take their
beers as seriously as the French do their wines. Even small café
menus include six to eight varieties. Connoisseurs and novices
alike can be confused by the many choices, and casual drinkers
probably won't like every kind offered, since some varieties don't
even taste like beer. Belgian beer is generally yeastier and higher in
alcohol than beers in other countries.
In Belgium, certain beers are paired with certain dishes. To
