The following highlights some of the popular Traditional Belgian Foods. If you manage to be in an Belgian restaurant or you are visiting Belgium, I recommend the following:
1. Truffles
The Belgians have simply perfected this type of gourmet that is a must try. Some of the most famous brands are Neuhaus, Godiva, Leonidas and Nirvana. But of course, there are more brands and shops in Belgium, such as Marcolini, Wittamer, etc. There are more than 2,000 chocolatiers in Belgium to try these delicious snacks, usually made of cocoa.
2. Pommes Frites
Belgian fries are amazing. The secret is to fry twice, of course, making sure it’s soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. One interesting thing about it is that Belgians love to dip it in mayonnaise instead of ketchup. It may sound weird at first, but after trying it, it’s a great combination!
3. Filet Americain
Filet Americain is raw ground beef seasoned and served cold, like French steak tartare. Various seasonings are added to the beef (which should be very lean) for flavour: raw or pickled onion, egg yolk, Worcestershire or Tabasco sauce, ketchup, mustard, parsley, capers, salt, pepper and oil. This dish can be eaten in two ways: spread on bread or toast, or as a main meal, accompanied by chips and pickles.
4. Carbonnade
This melt-in-the-mouth Flemish dish is perfect for warming up on cold winter days. Once the meat is browned, it is covered with beer until it is sufficiently cooked. The stew sauce is thickened with mustard, onion and bread, although every cook has his or her own secret ingredients.
5. Mitraillette
A mitraillette in Belgium is nothing more than a sandwich, usually with fried meat, potatoes and their gravy inside. It doesn’t sound very light, but we promise you it’s spectacular! You’ll find them both to take away and to eat there, in cafés and friteries.
6. Waterzooi
It is a stew-like soup. Waterzooi comes from the old Flemish word zooien, meaning ‘to boil’. It is traditionally made with fish such as carp, pike, eel and sea bass, but nowadays it is most commonly made with chicken, as well as vegetables such as carrots, leeks, potatoes, and then thickened with eggs, cream and butter. It is usually served with toasted French bread to mop up the soup.
7. Liège Waffles
Liège waffles (gaufre de Liège) are a staple of Belgian cuisine. In Liège Wallonie, they are also known as gaufre au sucre (sugar biscuit) or waffle. Waffles have rounded edges and slightly different fillings. They are sweeter than the Brussels version and are made of flour, eggs, milk (or water), butter, yeast, salt, vanilla or cinnamon and granulated sugar. Pearl sugar is characteristic of Liège waffles, which gives them a mild caramel flavour. Liège waffles also have a different texture than Brussels waffles, being more like a brioche.
8. Moules-Frites
They are nothing more than mussels and chips. I know the combination sounds super weird but they are delicious. The mussels are served in a small casserole dish and are fresh and plump. Although new options are appearing, traditionally they are cooked with marinière sauce: white wine, a little onion and parsley. The potatoes are separate, but it’s hard to resist dipping them in the sauce. You’ll have no problem trying moules-frites anywhere in Belgium.
9. Chicon Au Gratin
They are one of the simplest and tastiest Belgian dishes. They are simply rolled endives with ham and cheese, au gratin with béchamel sauce in the oven. You can eat them as a main dish, or share them as a starter.
10. Gaufre
Belgian waffles are not called Belgian waffles, it is a term used in other countries to refer to a type of waffle. There are a lot of varieties in the country, the 3 most common are: Liège waffles (richer, denser, sweeter and chewier. It has pearl sugars and is the most common type of waffle), Brussels Waffles (larger, lighter, crispier and with larger pockets. It is easily identified because it is rectangular) and Galettes campinoises (thinner but stiffer and crispier. Buttery, crumbly and soft on the palate).
If you found this list useful, here are some more Traditional European Foods to try out on my Pinterest channel.