Belgian cuisine

Belgian cuisine includes the various national cuisines within the federal state of Belgium, which is composed of the regions of Wallonia, Brussels and Flanders. Since regional and seasonal ingredients are used with preference, considerable regional differences have developed in the different parts of the country. So the menus and home cuisine on the coast of shells and fish are marked, in the Ardennes, however wild.

Flanders cuisine

For cooking tradition in Flanders of the main items Flemish cuisine exists.

French fries

French fries are very popular. The best place to enjoy French fries in Belgium, is a Friture ( Frituur in Flanders, Fritkot in Bruxellois, Brussels dialect or patois ). A Friture is a temporary structure that is placed strategically located at busy places in Belgium, but also a special kind of restaurant where there are mostly fried dishes prepared. French fries are cooked at home rather rare. It has tradition, french fries, we eat at home, to get directly into the friture " around the corner".

Belgian beer

Another specialty is the Belgian beer. It is about 500 Belgian beers. Dishes with typical Belgian abbey beers are very popular. Although Belgium is a rather small country, there are a large number of beers that are available in a wide range of styles. Almost every individual has his own beer drinking vessel, usually a glass that can have different shapes. Among the abbey beers Trappist beers produced six by or under the supervision of Trappist monks play ( Achel, Chimay, Orval, Leffe, Westvleteren and Rochefort ) a special role. There are a variety of specialty beers such as Kriek ( cherry beer ), Gueuze, Framboise ( raspberry beer), Hoegaarden, Faro, Lambic or Aerts.

Belgian cheese

In addition, the farmers of Belgium produce a large number of cheeses that are particularly often enjoyed after a meal, such as a dessert cheese, Passendaele, Beauvooorde, Lo, Wijndendale, Herve, Abbaye de Floreffe, Maredsous, Damme, Abbaye d' Orval, Limburger, goat cheese, Mandjeskäse, Ätte or buttermilk cheese.

Chocolate

Belgian chocolate is known throughout the world. Your reputation is due to a tradition which stems from a strict legislation regarding the production. So stay - even for a European Directive, the use of 5 % of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter allows - most artisanal chocolate makers the prefix " 100 % cocoa butter " faithful. In defense of this quality a " ambao " was created called Label.

Among the most famous Belgian specialties include the chocolates. They were invented in 1912 by Jean Neuhaus allegedly. Today there are hundreds of different varieties. You will even be ranked in families: There are the Manon, those with fresh cream, the chocolate with praline, marzipan, liqueur and the so-called truffles. To get them their delicate freshness, a special packaging has been patented under the name of " Ballotin ".

Cuberdon

The Cuberdon is a jelly-like candy that is often referred to as " Neuzeke " ( nose ) because of some similarity with a nose in Flanders.

Kitchen Brussels and Wallonia

As a national dish of moules frites apply. These are fries to mussels and fries. While the cuisine of households is more hearty and rustic, fine cuisine, the restaurants especially in Brussels and Wallonia is heavily influenced by French cuisine, with which it is often equated with quality. There is a saying that states that the food in Belgium is thus served in the amounts as they are usually found in Germany, and with the quality, such as the one known in France. Many supermarkets have a very large selection of quality delicatessen products. In particular, Brussels is the headquarters of many European institutions, has many high class and excellent food guides of various gourmet restaurants. The Brussels cuisine is also influenced by the cooking cultures of the large immigrant groups, such as Africa or the Middle East.

Typical dishes of Brussels and Wallonia

• Lapin (rabbit) à la Gueuze: braised in beer. Gueuze is a naturally fermeniertes Belgian beer from the Brussels region.
• Lapin aux Pruneaux: Rabbit with prunes from the area around Liège.
• Vol au Vent: Chicken fricassee with puff pastry.
• Rognons veaux de la Liégoise: veal kidneys in Liège style, with juniper berries and gin ( Genièvre or PEQUET called ).
• Pheasant à la brabançone: Pheasant on brabançonne with chicory.
• Salade LIEGEOISE: named after the city of Liege salad of potatoes, fine green beans, garlic and optional Ardennes ham.
• Au gratin Chicons: sometimes wrapped with ham au gratin chicory.
• Moules- frites: mussels cooked in vegetables and in its own juices, as a side dish fries.
• Moules parquées: Raw shellfish such as oysters served with lemon or with shallot sauce.
• Moules à l' escargot: Mussels with garlic and herb butter baked, usually served by the dozen on the Half Shell
• Filet américain: beef tartare with capers, shallots, Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, salt and pepper seasoned, as a side dish fries.
• Tomates crevettes fries: With brown shrimp and mayonnaise -filled, hollowed-out tomatoes as a side dish fries.
• Dame blanche: Vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
• Rice cakes: A thin dough with ground rice pudding filled.
• Craquelin: A yeast dough, with eingewirktem pearl sugar.
• Cramique: A baked into a box shape yeast dough, with eingewirktem pearl sugar and raisins.