Item of the week: Maitrank

After a long post-winter period punctuated with rain, sleet and snow in April, flowers are finally blooming and the sun is shining... the ideal conditions to drink Maitrank!

Maitrank is an alcoholic appetiser from Arlon, in the Belgian province of Luxembourg. The territory used to be part of a greater Luxembourg duchy. The word "Maitrank" actually means "May drink" in Luxemburgish. Around Arlon, some people still use a Luxembourgish dialect, although they all speak French perfectly.

The drink is made of white wine from Moselle with a particular ingredient, sweet woodruff, which gives it a taste of hay honey and vanilla. It is a tiny flower with a sweet perfume. It grows in spring but the flowers are not blooming when they're picked. In fact, recipes may vary from family to family but it's always served with a slice of orange.

 
Every year, a Maitrank festival takes place in Arlon, hosted by a "Maitrank Brotherood" (Belgians have brotherhoods for every nice thing!). This year, it is organised on Saturday 21th and Sunday 22nd May. Folkloric ceremonies, contests, visits and of course a first growth Maitrank-tasting session expect visitors in the centre.

A week to discover Belgian fries!

Today was the start of the Week of Belgian Fries ("Semaine de la Frite") in Wallonia. For the fifth edition of this Walloon initiative, the goal is to highlight 150 places where you can actually eat "real" fries in the south of the country. You can find a list on their website, try them and tell us what you think!

They're worth a museum!

If you really want to know Belgian fries like the back of your hand, you can visit the only museum the world dedicated to them! The Frietmuseum is located in Bruges and can teach you a lot about Belgian fries and their history.

How can you make your own Belgian fries?

Here is an example of recipe that you could use...
1) Choose a more floury type of potato. Usually, Bintje or Nicolas potatoes are being used in Belgium.
2) If you really want to do it the traditional way, use unrefined beef fat ("Blanc de Boeuf"). But you can also use any other oil if you prefer it.
3) After washing the potatoes and peeling them, make sure you chop the potatoes in fries as thick as 1 cm (0,4 inches).
4) Don't rince them again, as it could reduce their taste considerably. Then, dry them a maximum with a towel.
5) You have to pre-cook your fries to make sure the inside of the potato is edible. The oil has to be as hot as 160°C (320°F) and it usually takes around 5 minutes. If you're not sure, you can try to break one of the fries with your fingers, if it's almost immediate, they're ready.
6) The next step is to allow them to cool down for a while (maybe half an hour).
At this step, if you feel like you have too much, you can keep them in a box in your freezer so you can cook them later!
7) Finally, cook your fries at around 170-180°C (340-355°F) to actually fry them, making them crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and with an orange colour, around 2 or 3 minutes.
8) Put them in a bowl with a tissue and shake them up and down to make sure you get rid of a maximum of oil.

If you want to look authentic, place them in a papercone or a cardboard tray, with mayonnaise of course! Serve them hot!

A city of lights: Coteaux and Pierreuses in Liège

Yesterday evening was the 22nd edition of Nocturne des Coteaux de la Citadelle, an annual event in Liège that started in 1994. Candles were set on different places and various events were organised to highlight a part of the city usually discrete but nonetheless amazing spots!

Most people in Liège know the city centre with Place Saint-Lambert, its station and its shops (H&M, Fnac, Inno and others). Closeby remains a more silent and old historical district, where a number of monuments and green spaces can be visited without feeling oppressed as a tourist. There are also traditional bakeries where you can find exquisite pastries and local waffles for cheap prices.

Church of Saint-Barthélemy © Phlegmish & Wallony

Gentle giant in the area, a hill overlooks the city and hosts a nice, authentic quarter, (les) Pierreuses. The place is hidden behind the city centre and is harder to access because it is on a slope. Old romantic half-timbered houses welcome the few curious passerbys. Pierreuses have their culture and their people, usually known to be more open-minded, artistic and have their sense of humour and community.

Collection of views from Pierreuses © Phlegmish & Wallony

In the middle of Pierreuses, a door gives a free of access to a local farm with kitchen gardens and cattle. It offers people with less opportunities a chance to be included in society by working there. In there, you haven't even left the big crowded city of Liège but you really ARE in the countryside!

Farm in Pierreuses © Phlegmish & Wallony

If you get to the top of the hill following the way from Pierreuses, you will arrive at (les) Coteaux (de la Citadelle), a high point offering the best of the views on the whole city. You can use that place for endless talks with loved ones under starry skies (if you have a lot of things to tell them!). When you're done, you can go back to the centre by using the so-called "mountain" of Bueren, probably one of the longest staircases in the world...

Candles on Bueren staircase © Phlegmish & Wallony

Each year, on 3rd October, this part of the "ardent city", nickname of Liège, gets lit up with over 22,000 candles. Events such as free concerts and theatrical performances are organised, drinks and food are available and the whole place looks a little more romantic. It's the time of the year where the city reveals and animates its hidden parts and some places usually closed to public provide free access to their courtyards and gardens, also full of candles. The whole events takes an end with fireworks at 11.30pm in Parc Saint-Léonard.

Liège during the event © Phlegmish & Wallony

Don't be afraid to visit the historical district of Liège at any time of the year! You can also join two upcoming events in the area: on 9th May, the Coteaux area celebrates Spring with various events including concerts, food/wine tasting and games, and on the last Sunday of June is a guided tour through hidden gardens and other places.

And if you're still going to Liège right now, have some money to spend and are not afraid of rollercoasters and cholesterol(!), you can also go to the October Funfair set for a whole month on Bouvelard d'Avroy... and ask for laquements and croustillons!

Overweight and unhealthy Belgians?

The results of a study show Belgians have the third unhealthiest eating habits in the world... It is not surprising in a country where waffles and chocolate are national prides, but one shouldn't see these results as a representation of what Belgium is globally (hopefully!). Let's see why.
 
A recent survey directed by Dr Fumiaki Imamura, from Cambridge University, and published in newspaper Lancet Global Health scrutinised eating habits of some 187 countries in the world between years 1990 and 2010. Sadly, Belgium appears to be the third country in the top which has the most unhealthiest eating habits in the world, according to this survey. It comes right after Armenia and Hungary, where the habits are apparently the worst ones, and are followed by Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Belarus and the rest of them, way ahead of the USA!... It is very strange for us to realise it, because we always picture Americans as being overweight with very relaxed views on what they eat.

Well, on the other hand, Belgium also has as national dishes chocolate, waffles, fries (including fries sandwiches!) and a number of sauces to go with it, and as national drink... beer of course! These are not examples of healthy eating habits, but most countries also have their own high-calorie meals (sausages, haggis, Leberkäse, kebab, etc.) and it didn't change their position in the top.

Although the country has the lowest proportion of McDonald's per inhabitant, Belgium has a lot of fast-food restaurants available... And that's because, well, we have our own fast-food chain, Quick, which has later been redeemed by a French company but is still the leader in Belgium. And in general, people have globally embraced unhealthy eating habits as part of their culture. Frituur/friture places, which are small houses or caravans that sell fries and some other greasy meals, have always been all over the country, although kebab restaurants tend to be in competition with them.

Comparatively, two other studies by the ISP (Belgian public health institute) suggested that Belgians didn't take enough care of their health. One stated that only 12% of the population claimed they ate five fruits and vegetables per day. Another one said the general Belgian BMI (Body Mass Index) was around 25.4, which is considered overweight! Ouch...

Yet, the Cambridge University's study also indicates that, in general, people in the world (including Belgians) tend to eat more fruits and vegetables, so that also healthy eating habits increase in parallel. It was not until a few years ago that organic food shops have popped up in different cities. Their disadvantage is the higher price, of course, but this business seems to be popular among a certain type of people. In my opinion, women, university students (interested in sustainable and ecological development) and richer families are more often into these things. The survey indeed pointed out that, in general, youngsters and men tend to eat less healthy.


Another trendy business these days consists in slow-food restaurants, i.e. restaurants that serve better quality burger and fries for a bit more money, and I have seen them in different Belgian cities (it isn't difficult to find one close to your location in Brussels for instance: Houtsiplout, Balmoral, Manhattn's, etc.).

Similarly, a recent Flemish Internet fad called Dagen Zonder Vlees consists in getting vegetarian for fourty days. It comes as a Facebook challenge, mirroring the centuries-long tradition of Lent fasting (occurring around the same period) in a non-religious way, just like one would get a stach for the whole of "Movember"!

All in all, Belgium has a tradition of calor(if)ic food eating and it is only slowly changing, but flourishing businesses like organic food shops or slow-food restaurants (as well as efforts made by politics to fight against unhealthy food at school) could also change the face of Belgians, and probably one day the cliché of Belgians being fat waffle eaters...

Beer pipeline to supply brewery in Bruges

If you haven't been to Bruges yet, it's a beautiful medieval city that worth being visited at least once. Resembling a Northern Venice with canals replacing streets, it has been classified as UNESCO World's Heritage and is probably one of the most visited cities in Belgium... perfect for a romantic trip with your lover! Recently, a brewery found a solution to problem of lorries transiting through the old town with an original idea.

Bruges's beautiful canals

Famous for its beer Brugse Zot, one of his most emblematic breweries of Bruges, De Halve Maan ("the Half Moon") announced its intention for 2015 to install a pipeline in the undergrounds of the city... The first pipeline with beer ever invented!

What it might look like

The pioneer construction will probably cost a lot, but it will be an eco-friendly solution to limitate sound and air pollution in the old city. Every year around 500 lorries transit through Bruges in order to provide breweries with beer. Instead, a 3-kilometer long pipeline will connect the brewery (and maybe others) to a bottling plant outside Bruges, reducing by 85% the number of lorries in the beautiful streets. It will take around 10-15 minutes to get the beer out and the steel tube will be high-quality and safe, guaranteeing no leak. One more reason to get a drink in this splendid town!

Bruges during Christmas time

Flemish Epiphany is a sort of Halloween

In Belgium, Epiphany (called "driekoningen" or "fête des rois") is celebrated on 6th January or at least at the beginning of this month, like a logical conclusion to Christmas time, when three "kings" arrive to the crib where Jesus was born, coming from the East and following a star in the sky. The word "kings" is probably not appropriate to qualify those three men, but they were rather scientists or wise men, who had knowledge of astronomy and said they could predict the future. Their name was Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar and they brought expensive gifts for Jesus, whom they considered to be their new king: gold, incense and myrrh (a sort of ointment).

In the whole country, people on that day eat a pie called "koningentaart" or "galette des rois", which is usually made of almonds and has a figurine or a black bean inside of it. The tradition is that the one who gets the figurine or black bean in their piece of pie becomes the king (or queen) for the day. It is mostly feast for children, so parents usually try to make their child get it, so that they're happy for the day. As a reward, one can get a paper crown and can elect a queen or a king, giving them the other paper crown.

Until this week I didn't know that Flanders actually had a distinctive tradition for children on the day of Epiphany, which it shares with other Germanic-language regions but not with Wallonia. Children are dressed as "kings", often carrying a lantern or a star, and, in groups of three (like the three kings), they go from house to house, a bit like for Halloween, and ask for candy or "cents". But instead of simply saying "trick or treat", they have to sing songs specially invented for the occasion, like this one:

"Driekoningen, driekoningen
Geef mij een nieuwe hoed
Mijn oude is versleten
Mijn moeder mag het niet weten
Mijn vader heeft het geld
Op de rooster geteld."

"Three kings, three kings

Give me a new hat.

My old one has been worn out,

My mother can't now about it

My father has counted
The money on the grid."

Are fries uniting Belgians?

"Avoir la frite" is a French expression meaning "being happy" but literally "getting the fry"! It could be a nice way to sum up Belgian philosophy. Although the dish is known for making people fat, Belgians are in general proud to consider it a national dish and it is probably one of the binding forces of the country (seriously!)...

Last year, all linguistic communities agreed to request making Belgian fries a UNESCO World Heritage and a "Week of the Fries" was specially organised for the occasion. It would give such a simple meal more prestige, as genuine gourmets and chefs also love it in more sophisticated dishes. One theory states that fries were invented by a fisherman in Namur who, after an unfruitful fishing day, decided to fry pieces of potatoes instead of fish. A brilliant idea!

Are fries a binding force for the country? Probably and Belgium needs it... The new Government, more right-wing and represented by only a minority of Francophones and by more Flemish nationalists, has been criticised a lot these days. Almost every week, strikes have paralysed the whole country, resulting in controversies on the way trade unionists prevented people from going to work, which divided Belgium even more.

On December 22 during a talk to explain his new policies, Charles Michel (MR liberal), the current Prime Minister (succeeding socialist Elio di Rupo), received Belgian fries and mayonnaise all over his face and suit. Four women, left-wing protestors who had registered for the talk as students of the local university, organised this sort of burlesque bashing to tell the PM to resign and "get rid of austerity".

Although obviously unhappy about this event, Charles Michel decided to take it with humour and sent a (pretty artistic) signed picture of himself during the event to the Fries Museum in Brussels (because, yes, there is a Fries Museum!). Although it won't stop the political problems in Belgium, this is the typical example of how Belgians try to make people "get the fry" through self-mockery and... fries of course!

Best Belgian beers awarded at international contest

Have you already made up your mind on what your favourite belgian beer is? If not, you should check out the winner list of the European Beer Star Awards 2014! Last Wednesday, the 11th edition of the contest took place in Nurenberg. It awarded "somewhat special, authentic beers" from all over the world and... 8 Belgian beers got a medal!

The three Golden Medals: Maes pils, Oud Kriek Oud Beersel and Car d'Or

The competition took a more specific turn in that all beers were classified in no less than 52 categories to make sure everyone would find their own favourite (read the whole list here). Three Belgian beers were proudly awarded a Golden medal (see image above): Maes pils as a "European-Style Mild Lager", Oud Kriek Oud Beersel as a "Belgian-Style Fruit Sour Ale" and Car d'Or (Saint-Feuillien) as a "Belgian-Style Ale", the only Walloon beer that received a medal.

Besides, two Belgian beers were awarded a Silver medal: Brasserie LeFort, as a "Belgian-Style Strong Ale" and Bersalis Tripel as a "Belgian-Style Tripel", and three received a Bronze medal: Affligem Blond as a "Belgian-Style Strong Ale", Hoegaarden White as a "Belgian-Style Witbier" and finally RODENBACH Vintage as a "Belgian-Style Sour Ale".

Eight medals in an international beer competition... expectable in a country where the beer is national pride and most of the beer categories are "Belgian-style"?... Not that much, because US and Germany are the ones that received the largest number of awards... maybe because Belgian beers are not famous enough? Anyway, it didn't stop the country for winning the World Beer Awards 2014 in September with its Tongerlo Blond!

Any idea what your favourite one is? A good way is to try them and tell us in a comment! (You can try the analcoholic versions of them if you prefer... ;) )

Item of the Week: Mitraillette

Let's talk about food again for the item of the week... A small notice: this item is not the kind of cuisine I would recommend for a healthy lifestyle, so don't abuse it. It is called a mitraillette [me-try-IT!], meaning a "sub-machine gun" in French!

Mitraillettes can be found all over the country in a place called friterie or frituur, where fries are traditionally sold in a small bar or a van (a bit like fish'n'chips places in the UK), but also in restaurants and cafés sometimes. You can also find them in the region of Lille in France, where people share with us the same fries culture. In my city, Liège, the dish can also be called a routier ("truck driver" or "road (dish)" depending on the interpretations) and in France they call it an Américain!

The sandwich, consisting of half of a baguette, some fried meat (for example, fricadelle), some sauce (mayonnaise, etc.) and... lots of fries(!), is a revolution. An American friend once said "Who would have thought of putting all these things together... in a bread? The Belgians of course!"

I personally don't like eating it too often, but I gave it a try several times, because I was really, really hungry. Sometimes there are different sizes of sandwiches, so I would advise you to start with a small one or share a regular one with other people... In fact, the taste is not very surprising and not that different from eating fries and a hot dog separately... I can add that there are usually so many fries you use a small plastic fork to eat a whole bunch of them just because you feel frustrated of not being able to put the whole sandwich in your mouth.


I don't know why this fries sandwich emerged here and became so popular... Well, on further reflection, I remember that, as a kid, I always put some fries in my hamburger, so maybe it came naturally to us... But now there are even mitraillette versions of dürüms in kebab bars, or mitraillette burgers in some famous fast food lines! Let's say that all kinds of food got "machine-gunned" with fries in Belgium...

What is your experience of mitraillette? Share it in a comment!

Item of the Week: Sirop de Liège

I got the idea to launch a new section in this blog: the Item of the Week, where I will introduce you to a typical Belgian object and I will (try to) do it every week. This week, a light-blue pot you can get in any supermarket in Belgium and it comes from my city... Liège!

 

Le Sirop de Liège (or Liège syrup) is made of evaporated fruit juices, mostly apple and pear ones, and is a traditional spread from the province of Liège (mostly the city of Herve). It is dark-brown and has a sort of unexpected taste. Unlike peanut butter or nutella, you wouldn't like to put it on a spoon and eat it like that, but rather on bread at least. Personally, I love it on white cheese in a sandwich, because it gives all the sweet taste, without being too sugary.

More importantly, it is also used in the preparation of the Boulet à la Liégeoise, one of the most famous (Liège waffle excluded...) dishes of the province. We use it to make the sauce (mixed with fruits and onions) which will accompany pork-beaf meatballs and fries. After it, you will feel filled up!

After talking to Dutch people, I realised they had the same kind of spread, which they call Appelstroop (Apple Syrup), but it is not quite the same, because they don't use any pear juice in it.

10 surprising facts about Belgium

Here is a collection of ten facts that make Belgium so special. I was speechless when I discovered some of them and you'll probably be too!

 1) Illegal drugs cheaper here

Party drugs such as cocaine are cheaper in Belgium, according to the Global Drug Survey. Cocaine costs on average around €15 to €45 less in Belgium than in neighbouring countries. The reason is that drugs transit by havens (e.g. Antwerp), making the country a "turnstile". ...In the Netherlands, some of them are legal though(!) Yet the fact that these drugs are cheaper may also imply bad quality... In any case, consuming drugs is bad for your health, so don't do it!

2) Largest electro music festival

Created in 2005, Tomorrowland, taking place in Boom (Antwerp), is recording an increasing success. It only takes a few minutes to sell all tickets around the world. Decorated in a fairy-like and kitschy style, the festival lasts a couple of days and has 16 stages with the most famous international DJs. Also, participants can go to a swimmingpool, a fun fair, watch fireworks and Sound and Light shows, or sleep in a fancy mansion.

A castle in Tomorrowland

3) Lowest proportion of McDonald's per inhabitant

Belgium is the only country in the developed world in which McDonald's is not the most successful fast-food chain. It only counts 0.062 restaurants per 10,000 inhabitants (62 in total), which is seven times less than the USA and twice less than France and Germany. The reason is the increasing success of Quick, the first fast-food company of European origin, born in Belgium in 1971, subsequently redeemed by a French company. With 86 restaurants, it is leader in Belgium, as well as in Luxembourg, and number two in France.

4) Most lethal place for bees in Europe

According to a recent study, bees had the highest mortality rate in Northern countries during winter 2012-2013, due to the freezing winter we experienced. Other causes may include developing bacterias or pesticides. For some unknown reason, Belgium recorded the highest mortality rate, 33.6%, while it was 28.8% in the UK, 14.1% in France and 13.6% in Germany. The news is creating a buzz here...

5) First openly gay Prime Minister in the EU

The 60-something Elio di Rupo, also the first French-speaking leader in four decades, has been leading the French-speaking Socialist Party (PS) for years. He is the child of Italian immigrants and he did a PhD in chemistry before getting into politics. "Yes, so what?" he replied when a journalist asked him if he was gay in 1996. Since then, the PM is pretty well accepted by the population and never hides his lifestyle. Anyway, there is a whole gay quarter in Brussels, so worries... Note that the world’s first openly (female) gay prime minister was Iceland’s Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir in 2009.

Elio Di Rupo and gay-rights supporters

6) Around two years without official Federal Government

By the way, before Elio became PM, Belgium had no official Federal Government for all this time. The reason was a constant disapproval from a Flemish part of the Government, who wanted more fundamental changes, including the separation of Dutch-speaking municipalities from Brussels' district. Different people chosen by King Albert II had to take turns to lead the discussions. Yet, the country didn't really suffer from this lack of Government and nothing bad happened. Actually, the preceding Government was still somewhat operating at a reduced level...

 

Belgians are globally happy and don't care!

7) Airport as world's biggest chocolate selling point

Brussels National sells more than 800 tons of chocolate every year, which makes it the world’s biggest chocolate selling point ever. A lot of brands, mostly Belgian ones, are represented, and the place guarantees the lowest prices. Read the article on Belgian chocolates to know which ones to choose!

8) Most castles per km² in the world

Ghent, Vêves, Antoing... a hundred of prestigious castles of various styles (fortresses, properties, medieval or not) can be found here. But Belgium is so small that it is not possible to find such a concentration of castles in any other country.

The magnificent Ghent's castle

9) World's diamond capital

The world’s main diamond Stock Exchange is situated in Antwerp. Around 70% of cut diamonds in the world market transit by this city, as well as 80% of raw diamonds. After World War II, the diamond centre moved from Amsterdam to Antwerp. Other important places for the diamond market are New York, Tel-Aviv, London and Mumbay.

10) Brussels sprouts also going Dutch

Despite its name, Brussels sprout doesn't have Belgium as its biggest producer in the world. It is mainly in the Netherlands that the most hated vegetable in America (that I also don't like...) is produced, at 82,000 tons. This cabbage-like ball seem to have been embraced by Belgium in the 16th century onwards, but its history is still debated. Anyway, just eat some, it's really good for your health!

Surprising huh? Share this article to your friends or post new fun facts as a comment here!

Belgian chocolate reveals its secrets

Enjoying your day off for Easter? Why not offer your loved ones the most delicious gift ever: Belgian chocolate! As you probably know, chocolate factories are all over the place here and chocolate has really penetrated Belgian culture in its multiple forms... Last year for instance, postage stamps were created in Mechelen, with their glue and ink made with essence of cocoa oil, so that they smelled authentic chocolate! The country even applied as candidate for the "European chocolate road" on 11st April and the Council of Europe will officially recognise it by 2016 at the latest (let's keep our fingers crossed). Here is an overview of what makes Belgian chocolate so good and which chocolate types you should definitely bring back home!

In general, corporate chocolate tends to taste too bland, and be full of added sugar and fat. By contrast, Belgian chocolate is well-known for containing more cocoa and be tightly controlled. It is a trend today to select flavours that reveal the original taste of chocolate (or something close to it), although it might get a little more expensive. But don't be afraid to spend your money on Belgian chocolate, because it is all worth it!

We started it! The country was first supplied in cocoa from the Spanish Empire to be the main ingredient for a drink consumed by noble people, imported from the Americas. The actual consumption of cocoa as a delicacy started in the 19th century, when Adolphe Meurisse from Antwerp and Antoine Jacques from Eupen (a city in the current German-speaking area) created the first chocolate factories and sold chocolate in bar. Legend says that this trend only later got to Switzerland, our eternal rival, but I wasn't there so I can't tell you...

Cocoa beans, basic ingredient for chocolate

One word: pralines! In 1857, pharmacist Jean Neuhaus, who now has a chocolate store in the Grand Place in Brussels and supplies the royal family, decided to cover his medicines with chocolate to make them taste better. The idea extended to that of dipping anything in chocolate, including fruits, alcohol, cream or soft chocolate. The result is what we call here a praline (filled chocolate), a must in Belgium. Be careful if you use the word in France, where it means crushed almonds with sugar on it... It's like we don't speak the same language!

French pralines and Belgian pralines

An African story... Later on, another Neuman, Charles Neuman, created Côte d'Or in Brussels, a brand currently owned by an American company and symbolised by an elephant in Africa, an idea which is actually pretty coherent: As a Belgian colony, Congo was one of the biggest African cocoa suppliers for Belgium, making chocolate industry wealthy in Belgium, an unfortunate destiny for the African country. 

Chocolate earthquake! In the 20th century, a handful of other really nice chocolate brands were created, such as Callebaut in Wieze (East Flanders), Leonidas, created by a Cyprus-Greek man who maried a Belgian woman, and Galler, a factory that started in Liège in the 70s. Recently, Callebaut created a training center, humourously called "Chocolate Academy" (opening in June this year) and which will make easier the partnership with artisans and spread across the world the culture of Belgian chocolate.

Leonidas white chocolate manons

Nowadays, a whole lot of chocolate types are available on the market, so that everyone can find what they like. The most successful ones in Belgium are manon, a cream-filled chocolate, and more fruity or floral tastes like violet, tea or strawberry...

My favourite one at the moment is white chocolate with crunchy filling and a coconut flavour from Galler! What's yours? Post a comment and share this post!

Belgian beers at the UNESCO: aye or nay?

Last Monday, Belgium introduced a request to have as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the UNESCO its brewery culture. But a request may need at least one year to be successful and nothing is certain yet.

The country is famous in the whole world for its beers (even Obama mentioned them!), which have over 1,000 different types. Personally, I'm not a connoisseur but I never say no to a good beer... I guess it is just part of being Belgian(!) For those among us who can't drink alcohol, some of those beers exist in an alcohol-free version, so you have no excuse! :) If you don't know anything about Belgian beers, let's introduce you to some of them...

You probably already know the difference between lager-type beers (also called "blond beers") and dark beers (called "brown beers" in Belgium), which can be distinguished by their colour and their taste. In general, dark beers taste more rustic and strong than blond beers...

Stella Artois ad: a metaphor for Flemish and Walloons?

A famous blond beer is Stella Artois, because it has been exported by the world's largest brewer. Some of their ads feature a smartly dressed guy speaking in a French accent, and Artois is the name of a Walloon area, but the beer is actually brewed in Leuven (Flemish Brabant). So paradoxical! Another blond beer is Duvel, brewed not far from Antwerp, and whose name is dialect for "devil". Note that our national football team is called the Red Devils! Now, if you're looking for something lighter and refreshing, you can try a white beer (or wheat beer), such as Hoegaarden (from a city next to Leuven), which also exists with a red fruit ("rosée") flavour.

Next, as an example of dark beer, we have Leffe, from Dinant (Namur province), which is also famous for being a so-called abbey beer. There are a lot of them in Belgium and their brand send a part of their benefits to monks. Maredsous is also an abbey beer, but it is probably more famous for its nice abbey cheese... A specific type of abbey beers are trappist ones. This means that their brewery is supervised by trappist monks or that they make the beer themselves, and the trappists are one of the strictest monk communities. Three examples of brands you should remember are Orval (Luxembourg province), Chimay (Hainaut province) and Westmalle (Antwerp province).

All my copyrights on this pun!

For those who are interested in new tastes, you should try a lambic. It is a type of beer that has a special sweet and sour taste, and is produced in southern and western Brussels only. This type comprises the gueuze (or geuze) (literally "beggar"), with a more genuine taste, and the kriek, a cherry-flavoured lambic. A famous lambic brewer is Mort Subite. Its name comes from a card game played by people while drinking and the bar where it was played ("À la mort subite"). Some say that it's because when players had to run to the toilet after drinking too much, they were considered to have a sudden death ("mort subite" in French).

So, making Belgian beers famous is a good idea. Yet, there are so many beers in Belgium that it should be difficult to make it to the UNESCO. I would rather imagine a list of recognised brands or specific types of beers, because all Belgian beers are not typical to Belgium, I guess. And it can be excessively used for commercial purposes by all those brands to pretend they're better than others. Anyway, contrary to other examples of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in Belgium (Binche carneval, fishing, etc.), this heritage would make the whole country proud of itself.

What is your opinion on the topic? Express it!

Waffles for New Year's Eve

In the whole world, waffles are commonly associated with Belgium. Sometimes it's the only thing people remember about that country, which is unfortunate. However, we are still proud of our national pastry, so why not offer this for New Year's Eve?

The origin of waffles is still debated. People say they are very similar to Middle Ages small religious 'breads', because two irons were used to make them. Yet, around the 13rd century, it happened that a blacksmith invented a mould mimicking honeycombs. The dish resulting of this moulding was called 'wafel' in Dutch, which means 'honeycomb' (cf. 'weave' in English, because bees weave them). It was sold in the streets by very poor people or offered to beggars on New Year's Eve as a biblical custom, which is why in some Walloon dialects, they are called 'strènes' ('New Year gifts/tips').

However, these waffles were not sugary at all, and it's only in the 18th century that waffles made of honey, eggs and milk appeared. People found them so sweet and delicious that the dish extended to the whole country and many local recipes were created (almost a waffle a city).

 Brussels waffles

One of the most famous type is Brussels waffles. They are light and crunchy rectangular and sugar, cream, jam, chocolate or fruits are often added on them. If you wander across the streets close to Manneken Pis, you will find many shops that sell those to tourists. They were invented in the half of the 19th century and made popular in the whole world after the first Universal Exhibition in 1958, bringing up the name of 'Belgian waffles'.

Liège waffle

Yet, another sort is becoming even more famous among tourists: Liège waffles. These can be easily distinguished from their Brussels cousin in that they are smaller, round and softer. Usually, small pieces of sugar are incorporated to the dough and people in Liège (Wallonia) often add cinnamon to it, making it all scented. You will find different shops in the center of Liège, but they are also sold in Brussels. A legend says a cooker was asked by the Prince-Bishop of Liège to create a new pastry similar to a brioche in the 18th century and he got the idea to make it a waffle.

'Lukken' from West-Flanders

As said earlier, the waffle tradition concerns the whole country, because other recipes can be found in Flanders too. A type found in West-Flanders, now mainly encountered as wafers (small waffles), is called 'lukken' or New Year wafers. Those are butter waffers typically offered to family for New Year's Eve so as to bring them luck ('lukken' in Dutch). A famous brand of lukken is those made by Jules Destrooper, which are now devoured in the whole country.

Now which one will be your favourite? Post a comment!