Brussels is the capital of Belgium, and is home to quite a few famous food and beverages. Most people are familiar with the Belgium waffle, Belgium chocolate, and Belgium beer. In addition to those well-known tasty treats, other Belgium dishes include moules, or mussels, and a variety of other fresh seafood.
Beer
Belgium takes their beer seriously and offers unique flavors that include chocolate, raspberry, and cherry beer. Belgium is known for the diversity in beer selection and Brussels is no exception. In Brussels, there are many opportunities to taste the variety of flavors and distinctive tastes of Belgium beer in the local pubs and brewery tours throughout the city. A few places to start include Poechenellekelder(5 Rue du Chêne - closed Monday) and the very large selection at Delirium(4a Impasse de la Fidélité).
For the opportunity to try a large selection of the unique and original flavors of Belgium beer, the Grand Palace has a beer festival every September. To find out information on beer tours in Brussels and throughout Belgium, Belgium Beer Me has a large amount of information about beer tours in Belgium.
Chocolate
Chocolate is one of Belgium’s prominent industries and there are dozens of chocolatiers scattered throughout the city. The praline is a well-known chocolate masterpiece created by Jean Neuhaus in 1912. The praline is a piece of chocolate filled with various mixtures of nuts, fruits, and/or more chocolate. Throughout the city, little chocolate shops display Belgium chocolate in the windows to tempt passerby’s.
The quality of chocolate comes from the materials and preparation of the cocoa beans taken from Old World recipes. The Musée du Cacao et du Chocolat (Rue de la Tête d'Or, 9/11) offers an explanation of the history and manufacturing of chocolate.
Waffles
The Belgium waffles served in American dinners are not a true representation of the delicacy that has been a part of Belgium history for centuries. The waffles in Belgium, or gauffres, are raised with yeast and come in two varieties: the Brussels and the Liege.
The Liege is an oblong shaped, sweeter, hand-held version that can be bought by many street vendors around Brussels or any city in Belgium. The Brussels waffle is what is seen in American diners as a conventional Belgium waffle shaped like a rectangle, typically eaten with a knife and fork, and includes a powdered sugar or fruit topping. Belgians do not usually eat either the Brussels or Liege for breakfast and both can be considered more of a snack. When tasting a Belgium waffle, be sure to go to a place that is making them fresh and not just warmed up.
Moules at Frites
Another indulgence in Brussels is mussels served with fries, or moules at frites. Traditionally, moules are steamed in a broth of white wine, tomatoes, and other vegetables and served in a large, black pot with frites on the side. There is a variety of ingredients in the broth, including more creamy sauces, and other vegetable broths.
A good place to get a taste of the classic moules is at Chez Léon (18, rue des Bouchers). At the popular tourist spot, near Grand Palace, this famous restaurant will prepare the moules in a variety of ways.
Seafood
Walking down the alleyways near the Grand palace, one will come across Rue des Bouchers, referred to as restaurant lane. In this touristy spot, there are dozens of small sidewalk cafes serving food with pushy waiters pleading you to come to their restaurant with overpriced menus. It is a picturesque area to stroll, but there may be better places to eat in Brussels for seafood.
In the Saint Catherine area is the fish market with restaurants that focus on fish dishes. A modern restaurant in this area and popular with locals is La Marie Joseph (Brandhoutkaai 47). Another restaurant in this area that has a good reputation among locals is Jacques (Quai aux Briques 44).
The European Seafood Exposition runs in Brussels. This event allows opportunity for buyers and sellers in the seafood sector to show visitors a multitude of seafood products.
Julie McElroy - Freelance travel writer with published articles about places all over the world, including Italy, Colorado, Japan, Germany, and Spain.
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