Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

278 TRAVELLERS’ NEEDS

Moules-frites are mussels

steamed with onion and white

wine, and served with chips

(fries) and mayonnaise.

Most Belgians are passionate about food and standards

are very high. The many first-class bakers, greengrocers,

fishmongers, butchers and pâtissiers, including Belgium’s

noted chocolatiers, are held in high public esteem,

alongside the top chefs and restaurateurs. Restaurant

cooking in Wallonia and Flanders is, respectively,

French and Dutch in character. Belgian diners appre-

ciate hearty traditional fare, which depends on good

ingredients cooked well. Moroccan, Italian, Spanish,

Chinese and Indian restaurants add variety to the mix.

THE NORTH SEA

No place in Belgium is more

than a three-hour drive from

the coast, and consequently,

fresh seafood plays a central

role in Belgian cuisine. On

the coast, as well as in the

fish restaurants of the major

cities, a wide variety of the

best fish – sole, cod, turbot,

skate, hake and monkfish –

is always on the menu, either

simply grilled, fried in butter

or swathed in a well-judged

sauce. Huge platters of fruits

de mer, or mixed seafood,

are also widely available in

restaurants all over Belgium.

A uniquely Belgian fish dish

that is well worth seeking

out is anguilles au vert

(paling in’t groen in Dutch),

which consists of large

chunks of eel cooked with

a mass of finely chopped,

fresh green herbs.

PASTURE AND

WOODLAND

Northern Belgium and the

hills of the south are home

to herds of cattle. The Herve

Region produces most of

Belgium’s mostly French-style

soft, or semi-soft, cows-milk

cheeses. Quality beef is the

stock-in-trade of any Belgian

butcher, and steak-frites

(steak and chips) is a classic

dish on bistro menus.

Bunches of white asparagus, a

seasonal early-summer treat

A selection of fine quality North Sea seafood

The Flavours of Belgium

LOCAL DISHES AND SPECIALITIES

Although Belgian chefs produce some of the world’s

most complex and sophisticated cooking, many

of Belgium’s greatest classic dishes are rela-

tively simple, striking a healthy balance

between nourishment and pleasure.

Fine examples include steaming plate-

fuls of moules-frites and warming

stews such as carbonnades flamandes

and waterzooi, which is made with either

fish or chicken. These dishes might be

labelled comfort food; however, the quality of the ingred-

ients and the skill put into cooking such dishes in Belgium

invariably turns such homely fare into a feast. An unusual

conserve to look out for at the breakfast, or cheese, table is

sirop de Liège, a soft spreading fruit paste made of concen-

trated pears, apples, plums and apricots.

Belgian chocolates

Langoustine

Oysters

Cockles Whelks

Lobster

Fruit used in

sirop de Liège