Belgium

A strong, bottle-conditioned Belgian ale brewed in the centuries-old tradition of monastery brewing, defined by its Belgian abbey yeast character — expressive fruity esters and spicy phenols — complex malt structure, and live refermentation sealed inside the bottle.

A bite-sized Belgian confection consisting of a thin, moulded shell of tempered couverture chocolate enclosing a soft filling such as ganache, nut paste, gianduja, or flavoured cream.

Thick-cut, twice-fried potato batons cooked in beef tallow and served hot from a frituur in a paper cone — the defining street food of Belgium.

A thick, yeast-leavened waffle of Belgian origin existing in two canonical forms: the dense, pearl-sugar-studded Liège waffle cooked in a round iron and eaten plain, and the lighter, crispier rectangular Brussels waffle with deep grid pockets served with fresh toppings.

A Flemish braise of thick-cut beef slowly cooked in Belgian ale with deeply caramelized onions, thyme, bay, and slices of mustard-smeared pain d'épices floated on top to thicken and sweeten the sauce.

A Belgian comfort dish of braised Belgian endive heads individually wrapped in cooked ham, arranged in a baking dish, blanketed in a thick nutmeg-scented Béchamel, topped with grated aged cheese, and baked until golden and bubbling.

Couque de Dinant is an extremely hard honey biscuit from the Belgian town of Dinant, made of only flour and honey and pressed into carved wooden moulds before baking.

A Belgian café dessert of vanilla ice cream scoops served immediately with a ladled-over hot dark chocolate sauce and a crown of freshly whipped cream, its identity built entirely on the thermal and textural contrast between its three elements.

A Belgian spread of finely minced raw beef seasoned with capers, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, egg yolk and condiments, eaten on bread or with fries.

A savory leek-and-cream tart in a short pastry crust, originally from Dinant, traditional to the French-Belgian border region.

A Ghent-style Flemish beef stew braised long in Belgian ale, sweetened lightly and thickened with mustard-smeared bread.

A Belgian deep-fried croquette whose filling is a very thick, cold-set béchamel densely packed with tiny wild-caught North Sea grey shrimps (Crangon crangon), encased in fine breadcrumbs and fried to a golden, shattering shell with a molten creamy interior.

A Belgian and Northern French dish of fresh live mussels steamed open in a aromatic white-wine or beer broth, served with a generous portion of Belgian double-fried frites and the cooking liquor as a dipping broth.

A warm Belgian salad from Liège of green beans and potatoes tossed with crisp bacon, onion and a hot bacon-fat vinegar dressing.

A thin, crisp Belgian spiced shortcrust biscuit defined by cinnamon and ginger and the deep caramelised flavour of brown sugar.

A rustic Belgian dish of potatoes coarsely crushed with butter and one seasonal vegetable into a chunky, savoury mash.

A Flemish home-style beef stew slow-braised in dark Belgian ale, sharpened with mustard and balanced sweet with brown sugar or mustard-smeared bread.

A Belgian open shortcrust (or yeasted) tart filled with a thick, set vanilla-scented rice pudding cream.

A hollow case of puff pastry baked into a light cylindrical shell and filled with a creamy ragout, most classically chicken, veal and mushrooms in a velouté sauce.

A Flemish stew from Ghent of chicken (or fish) and julienned root vegetables in a broth enriched with cream and egg yolks.