After Brussels and Bruges, name another Belgian place you know. Ghent? Yes. You may not have heard of Leuven and Haselt but circle them on your map or make a list of places to visit if you are planning to visit Belgium or just want to know where famous foods come from and can be found.
DRINK
Elderflower aperitif.
www.roomer.be
Beer brewed with herbs instead of hops.
www.gruut.be
EAT SNACK FOOD
If you like savoury Scotch egg, served as a lunch time snack in England's pub, you will like Vogelnestje, meaning birds nest hand boiled egg in mincemeat, in Flanders deserved with chips (fries).
Prefer something sweet for a snack?
Boke met choco
Bread with chocolate spread.
Gent neuzeke (meaning little nose)
This purple cone of tjoepke or cuberdon (cube or cone shape) has a syrupy centre and hard outside. One story goes that priests invented it, hence the name, priest's hat. The alternative version is that a pharmacy was making the usual concoctions of medicines in syrup (like cough mixture), and left some lying around until it developed a hard outside, then decided to sell it as a candy.
Seasonal food for the winter months, from early September to late March.
Snowballs (Sneeuwballen)
www.confiserielarmuseau.com
Gent region
See TripAdvisor for reviews and pictures of the Bartholomeus Restaurant's raspberry dessert, a ring of red on a ring of white.
www.restaurantbartholomeus.be
BEER
Beer-pulling course in the Stella Artois brewery, Leuven.
www.breweryvisits.com/web/nl/stella/showinfo
Palm brewery and Diepensteyn Castle, Steenhuffel, Leven, Belgium.
www.palm.be
De Kroon Beer Centre, Huldenberg (Leuven region)
www.brouwerijdekroon.be
Beer trips, province of Flemish Brabant
www.beerhop.be
WINE
Hageland Wine has won awards.
FOOD
POTATO / RESTAURANT
Pomme Muscovite
If you like potatoes and caviar or mock caviar this is a place with a chef you'll be pleased to meet.
Mashed potato with caviar or mock caviar (salmon roe) on top.
Suggested by Thomas Locus of Bistro Margaux
www.bistromargaux.be
I suggest you email or phone to book at able and be sure that the dishes you want to try are on the menu.
A Michelin one star restaurant with 16/20 by Gault and Millau, seats 45, closed Monday and Tuesday.
Bistrot Margaux Dorsplein 3, 1700 Sing-Martens-Bodegem, Lleven, Belgium
tel:+32 (0)2 460 05 45.
Centro Chocolates
Chocolate and food pairing.
www.centho-chocolates.com
If you can't get there or you want to try it at home first, here's a recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/ghinaskitchen/thoughts/pommemuscovite
Trappist beer brewed in a monastery
Blonde and brown beers.
www.achelsekluis.org
The city of jenever (genever or gin).
See how it's produced and try it in the tasting room.
National Jenever Museum, Hasselt
www.jenevermuseum.be
October gin festival.
Wine Chateau - Genoels-Elderen
On the old Roman road.
www.wijnkateel.com
FOOD
Speculoos (Spiced biscuit)
Unlike most other places ((See Brussels) which produce thin, hard, brittle biscuits, this place produces soft, these Flemish biscuits are thick, soft and dark with a flavour of cinnamon!
www.hasselt.eu
(See next post.)
GENT'S FOOD AND DRINK GOODIES
DRINK
Elderflower aperitif.
www.roomer.be
Beer brewed with herbs instead of hops.
www.gruut.be
EAT SNACK FOOD
If you like savoury Scotch egg, served as a lunch time snack in England's pub, you will like Vogelnestje, meaning birds nest hand boiled egg in mincemeat, in Flanders deserved with chips (fries).
Prefer something sweet for a snack?
Boke met choco
Bread with chocolate spread.
Gent neuzeke (meaning little nose)
This purple cone of tjoepke or cuberdon (cube or cone shape) has a syrupy centre and hard outside. One story goes that priests invented it, hence the name, priest's hat. The alternative version is that a pharmacy was making the usual concoctions of medicines in syrup (like cough mixture), and left some lying around until it developed a hard outside, then decided to sell it as a candy.
Photo from Wikipedia.
Seasonal food for the winter months, from early September to late March.
Snowballs (Sneeuwballen)
www.confiserielarmuseau.com
Gent region
See TripAdvisor for reviews and pictures of the Bartholomeus Restaurant's raspberry dessert, a ring of red on a ring of white.
www.restaurantbartholomeus.be
L E U V E N
DRINKBEER
Beer-pulling course in the Stella Artois brewery, Leuven.
www.breweryvisits.com/web/nl/stella/showinfo
Palm brewery and Diepensteyn Castle, Steenhuffel, Leven, Belgium.
www.palm.be
De Kroon Beer Centre, Huldenberg (Leuven region)
www.brouwerijdekroon.be
Beer trips, province of Flemish Brabant
www.beerhop.be
WINE
Hageland Wine has won awards.
FOOD
POTATO / RESTAURANT
Pomme Muscovite
If you like potatoes and caviar or mock caviar this is a place with a chef you'll be pleased to meet.
Mashed potato with caviar or mock caviar (salmon roe) on top.
Suggested by Thomas Locus of Bistro Margaux
www.bistromargaux.be
I suggest you email or phone to book at able and be sure that the dishes you want to try are on the menu.
A Michelin one star restaurant with 16/20 by Gault and Millau, seats 45, closed Monday and Tuesday.
Bistrot Margaux Dorsplein 3, 1700 Sing-Martens-Bodegem, Lleven, Belgium
tel:+32 (0)2 460 05 45.
Centro Chocolates
Chocolate and food pairing.
www.centho-chocolates.com
If you can't get there or you want to try it at home first, here's a recipe:
https://sites.google.com/site/ghinaskitchen/thoughts/pommemuscovite
HASSELT (IN THE PROVINCE OF LIMBURG)
DRINK: beer, gin, wine.Trappist beer brewed in a monastery
Blonde and brown beers.
www.achelsekluis.org
The city of jenever (genever or gin).
See how it's produced and try it in the tasting room.
National Jenever Museum, Hasselt
www.jenevermuseum.be
October gin festival.
Wine Chateau - Genoels-Elderen
On the old Roman road.
www.wijnkateel.com
FOOD
Speculoos (Spiced biscuit)
Unlike most other places ((See Brussels) which produce thin, hard, brittle biscuits, this place produces soft, these Flemish biscuits are thick, soft and dark with a flavour of cinnamon!
www.hasselt.eu
(See next post.)
ANGELA LANSBURY
TRAVEL WRITER, RESEARCHER, AUTHOR, SPEAKER
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