I was in a funny mood when I did a weekend trip to Brussels back in August
I was nearing the end of my time in England with the looming expiry date of my visa. I just wasn't myself. Don't misunderstand, I was excited to be visiting a new place on a mini-break, but I couldn't help feeling some sort of resentment. Resentful of what exactly, I'm not entirely sure. But to say the least, I was being a bit of a mardy one.
We wandered the beautiful streets of historic cities, lined by colourful buildings and canals, dotted with magnificent architecture and friendly locals, yet I was closing myself off to what was going on around me, unintentionally, but it was happening.
The only time my mood lifted was whenever food was in front of me. What can I say, I'm an emotional eater. When seated in a restaurant or sidewalk cafe, I couldn't help but look around and notice my surroundings. I was captive there and could finally take a breath and open myself up. It was through the food that I connected to my location, their culture, and to the history of the country.
Neuzen from Ghent, is a jellied purple candy in the shape of a nose. Because of the candy's short shelf life, it's not often exported and therefore can pretty much only be purchased in Belgium. Specifically Ghent. And just look how cute the carts are that sell the Cuberdon.
In Belgium, french fries are more than just fries, they are
frites. Baked twice and served in a paper cone with a mayo dollop. (Not a great picture here as I was more focused on the meat stew across from me). The frites are super crispy, extra hot, and hit the spot any time of day; I saw people eating them morning, noon, and night. Here are better pictures of
Brussels frites.
Waterzooi is next on my list. I had heard the word before, but never had the pleasure. This dish originated in Flanders and can be made with fish or chicken with a cream base soup and root vegetables. This was so nice, I had it twice.
Belgian waffles. What makes a waffle Belgian? It has to be made by a Belgian.
*Ba-doom-ching* I've never been a huge fan of pancakes, waffles, or french toast because I don't like 'soft/soggy' bread, but I figured I couldn't leave Belgium without trying one and thank goodness I did. Oh-em-gee! So good! Served with fresh fruit and powdered sugar. It was light and crispy; I could have ate these all day!
Being a fan of
Belgos in London, I knew what to expect on the issue of
mussels. However, it's another must have food in Belgium and pretty much anywhere you go, you can't go wrong with the mussels.
A must try food in Belgium would be the
chocolate. There are chocolatiers on every corner like a Tim Horton's in Canada. I bought an assorted box as a gift for my pops and got to try a few. Mmmm no one does it better. We also visited the
Museum of Cocoa and Chocolate, which gave the history of chocolate, showed us punters how moulds were made and even displayed chocolate 'clothing', along with the all important free samples.
Belgian beer, not technically a food, but a certain must have. In Brussels I highly recommend a trip to
Delirium Cafe. They have
all the beer there, including exotic fruit beer for me. (Cactus beer pictured here).
Sunny in London did a great post on the cafe.
After a night at Delirium I dragged my tired bones and tender head to an Irish pub serving a full "Irish" breakfast. No matter the location an Irish pub is a good idea. Just what this girl needed after a night out. (It included blood pudding. I think that's what made it Irish?)
So although Belgium has gone down in my books as not one of my most favourite destinations (I think it needs a redo), I do very much think back fondly to my time spent in the restaurants and to the foods I shared in Brussels, Bruges, and Ghent.
