{"id":1678,"date":"2017-01-26T12:28:54","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T12:28:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/?p=1678"},"modified":"2022-04-13T15:42:50","modified_gmt":"2022-04-13T15:42:50","slug":"homeofthewaffle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/homeofthewaffle\/","title":{"rendered":"Belgium: Home of the Waffle"},"content":{"rendered":"

So, it\u2019s time to write my second blog post! The topic chosen for this edition is \u201cIdentity and Culture: Food and Drink\u201d.<\/p>\n

As I\u2019m sitting on the train this morning, from Antwerp back to Brussels, I started to think about what I could write. Luckily, Belgium is the home to some great food, a lot of which we eat in the UK also.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0770\"<\/p>\n

Antwerp Central Station<\/em><\/p>\n

In fact, last night I ate out at a cool restaurant called Bia Mara. I do not think I could include this in the blog, as it\u2019s a chain of Fish and Chips shops, run by two Irish guys who moved to Belgium. It\u2019s serves quirky versions of fish and chips, like Japanese and Mexican style – but it\u2019s not really Belgian.<\/p>\n

Probably the most obvious thing is Belgian chocolate (chocolat Belge<\/i>)! Here in Belgium, not only can you find entire aisles in the supermarket dedicated to the stuff, but additionally there are chocolate shops on every street. They\u2019re a great place to go if you want to get your hands on a free sample. The biggest chains are Neuhaus, Leonidas, Godiva and Pierre Marcolini. Pierre Marcolini is known for the big shop-front displays at\u00a0the Sablon store in Central Brussels, here is a picture of its\u00a0summer decoration.<\/p>\n

\"Unknown\"<\/p>\n

“Un \u00e9t\u00e9 chez Pierre” – “A summer at Pierre’s”<\/em><\/p>\n

Although Belgium may be the argued capital of chocolate, hot chocolates here are a little different to the ones we have back home. Instead of a mixture of cocoa powder, sugar and hot milk, these hot chocolates are melted pure dark chocolate – quite a shock if you\u2019re not expecting it!<\/p>\n

The second food snack that Belgium is known for is the waffle (gaufre<\/i>)! While they may seem the same, there are in fact two types of Belgian waffle; the Brussels waffle and the Li\u00e8ge waffle. The Brussels waffle is more like the ones we find back home – it\u2019s rectangular, crispy on the outside and fluffy in the centre (this texture pairing seems to be something that the Belgians are good at – as you\u2019ll see). They also have a very mild taste, and only lightly sweetened so they are often eaten with whipped cream, sweet sauces, nuts and fruits or even ice cream!<\/p>\n

The Li\u00e8ge waffle on the other hand is much chewier and sweeter, it\u2019s also most normally found in a round shape. Because of this it\u2019s often eaten with only a sprinkle of sugar. However, if you ever find yourself in Brussels, head down to the Rue Neuve, where you can find a waffle stand which serves Li\u00e8ge waffles with Belgian milk chocolate baked into the batter – it\u2019s a little pricey but it\u2019s the best!<\/p>\n

\"waffle-3800\"<\/p>\n

Can you tell which gaufre<\/strong> is which in the photo above?<\/em><\/p>\n

These two<\/i> treats can definitely be considered a Belgian street food, as a waffle stand can be found on every corner, usually serving both types of waffle at prices between \u20ac1 and \u20ac2.50. Also very popular in Belgium is the Dutch\u00a0Stroopwafel,\u00a0<\/em>this translates literally as “Syrup waffle<\/span>” and is a harder waffle, with caramel baked inside. These are often enjoyed by being warmed on top of a hot drink before eating them. If you want to try\u00a0them in the UK, they are often called “Caramel Waffles” can be bought in Lidl, Marks & Spencer and surprisingly, Starbucks.<\/p>\n

\"Dutch
Dutch Stroopwafels from a Dutch supermarket chain – Albert Heijn<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Also amongst the sweets are a \u201cdelicacy\u201d known as cuberdons<\/i> or gentse neuzen. <\/i>These are usually found in the North (Flanders), originating from Ghent and are a violet-flavoured jelly inside of a sugar shell. Like Marmite, you either love them or hate them, and I am certainly within the second group!<\/p>\n

\"\"
Trying some Gentse Neuzen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Finally, in terms of snacks, there are frites (fries). Just like many things, there is a competition between Belgium and France as to whom was the first to invent a certain dish. Contrary to their American name of \u201cFrench\u201d fries, they are considered to be a Belgian invention. In Belgium, fries really have a cult following – just like at home they are eaten both as a snack and a side to a main meal. However, what distinguishes the Belgian version of fries from the rest is the way in which they are prepared and eaten. To begin, Belgian fries are always double cooked – once at a low temperature and once at high temperature, often in beef fat – to ensure a great taste and that delectable crunchy outside, fluffy inside texture. Next, they are given a sprinkle of salt (never vinegar) and a choice of sauces. This is where you could say that these fries are special – there is the standard ketchup and mayonnaise, but then there is spicy samurai sauce, andalouse, aioli, something called Bickey (I didn\u2019t try this one) and many more.<\/p>\n

\"it-takes-two-to-tango\"<\/p>\n

Frites<\/strong> with mayonnaise and \u201cSauce frites\u201d from Fritland, Brussels.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The average price for a large <\/i>portion of fries, with some sauces is around \u20ac4. It sounds expensive, compared to the prices we can find in the UK, but the pride that the fritkot<\/em> owners put into their work really shows in the product. Just like the waffles, chip-shops (fritkots) can be found in every major area of the city. Many fritkots<\/em> in Brussels and around Belgium claim to have \u201cthe best <\/i>fries\u201d, with loyal followings at each one, but my favourite was undoubtedly \u201cFritland<\/em>\u201d at the Bourse in Brussels. In the end, as Belgium is the “homeland” of fries, even McDonald’s does some tasty ones!<\/p>\n

Belgium is additionally known for several other dishes, but the most widely-known is probably the moules-frites<\/i> or mussels and chips. Traditionally, the mussels are cooked in a big casserole dish, in a white wine sauce, but other options such a garlic-tomato sauce or a creamy sauce is also available. This really is a traditional dish, and I would recommend that if you are ever in Belgium (or Scotland for that matter), that you try it. Even if you are not a big seafood fan, the flavour is covered up by the sauce and, of course, the delicious fries!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Can you remember any of the French words for the foods mentioned here?<\/b><\/p>\n

Moules-frites –\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Chocolate –\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Gaufre –\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Frites –\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Fritkot –\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

What does “Stroopwafel” mean?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

What makes Belgian frites <\/i>different from others?<\/b><\/p>\n

What is the difference between the two types of Belgian waffle?<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In February 2017 I shall be living in Spain, so stay tuned for my updates from there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"So, it\u2019s time to write my second blog post! The topic chosen for this edition is \u201cIdentity and Culture: Food and Drink\u201d. As I\u2019m sitting on the train this morning, […]","protected":false},"author":1083,"featured_media":2158,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[268],"tags":[64,231,249,232,221,90],"class_list":["post-1678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","tag-belgium","tag-brussels","tag-europe","tag-french","tag-lingomap","tag-studying"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4QQbz-r4","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1645,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/lingomap-self-and-relationships\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":0},"title":"LingoMap: Self and Relationships","author":"Liam Barrett","date":"January 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Bonjour tout le monde! (Or, hello everyone!) This is my first submission for the Routes into Languages LingoMap Blog. Before I catch my very early train back to Brussels tomorrow, to start the dreaded \u201cBlocus\u201d (the Belgian-French word for the exam period) on 2nd January, I thought I\u2019d get started\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/01\/IMG_0230.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/01\/IMG_0230.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/01\/IMG_0230.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/01\/IMG_0230.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/01\/IMG_0230.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/01\/IMG_0230.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2239,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/nextsteps\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":1},"title":"So, what’s next?","author":"Liam Barrett","date":"June 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"And we\u2019re done! As of 2nd June 2017, I have finished my year abroad. Having first left for Belgium on 25th August 2017, I have spent a little over nine months and two weeks living abroad. Undoubtedly, the Year abroad is a worthwhile experience, regardless of where you do it,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/06\/IMG_3095-450x338.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":160,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/the-city-of-leuven-how-did-it-plan-out\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":2},"title":"The city of Leuven – how did it ‘plan’ out?","author":"Wendy Maden","date":"August 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Wendy Maden, final year student on the BSc City and Regional Planning, reflects on her experience of studying abroad through the Erasmus programme Wendy, third from the right, pictured in Leuven with friends made while on the Erasmus programme. Wendy stated: \"This photo summarises Erasmus quite well: Swedish, Italian, German,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Wendy Maden Erasmus","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2014\/08\/Wendy-Maden-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3638,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/the-process-of-applying-for-erasmus-with-encap\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":3},"title":"The process of applying for Erasmus+ with ENCAP","author":"Tammy-Louise Wilkins","date":"August 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"The Erasmus+ Application is a lengthy process. First, you will initially apply to your university; upon getting a nomination, you will need to apply to the host university, and then begin the process of finding accommodation and filling out a multitude of forms. So let\u2019s begin with the basics; the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/2-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/2-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/2-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2019\/08\/2-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6013,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/a-literary-students-global-marketing-journey\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":4},"title":"A Literary Student’s Global Marketing Journey","author":"Global Opportunities Globetrotters","date":"June 25, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Name: Camille Stanley (BA 2019) Degree subject and school: English Language and Literature, School of English, Communication and Philosophy Destination: Canada Which Global Opportunity did you take part in and what did it involve? I studied marketing at a summer programme at UBC Canada. This involved 7 weeks spent in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "International Summer Programmes"","block_context":{"text":"International Summer Programmes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/summer-programmes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/06\/IMG_3501-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/06\/IMG_3501-scaled.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/06\/IMG_3501-scaled.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/06\/IMG_3501-scaled.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/06\/IMG_3501-scaled.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2025\/06\/IMG_3501-scaled.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2106,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/elpaisdequijote\/","url_meta":{"origin":1678,"position":5},"title":"A cultural\/historical snapshot of \u00abEl pa\u00eds de Quijote\u00bb","author":"Liam Barrett","date":"May 15, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a1Buenos d\u00edas! It\u2019s been a few months since I last wrote for LingoMap, and since then I have moved from Brussels in Belgium, to Ciudad Real in Spain. Firstly, I would like to apologise for my lateness in posting the April blog, I have been very busy handing in some\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "European Placements"","block_context":{"text":"European Placements","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/category\/europe\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/05\/FullSizeRender.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/05\/FullSizeRender.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/05\/FullSizeRender.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/05\/FullSizeRender.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"meta_box":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/281\/2017\/01\/IMG_1493-e1495046961529.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1083"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1678"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2159,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1678\/revisions\/2159"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cardiff.ac.uk\/globetrotters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}