Belgian cuisine: The Belgians owe their fine cuisine to the country's rich historical heritage. Throughout history the country has been invaded by a number different powers, each with their own particular food culture. The Belgians have adapted these foods to create a cuisine that is renowned worldwide. The country is most famous for its techniques in cooking mussels and endive. Belgians claim that they invented chips, which are called frites in Belgium. Chocolate is also a passion in this country that invented the praline. The Belgian people view food as a pleasure and Brussels alone is home to over 2,000 restauraunts and 20 brands of chocolate shops. In 1830 the endive was discovered by a Belgian farmer and the Belgians tend to incorporate this root vegetable into a lot of their national dishes. Seafood is very popular with mussels in particular being the country's favourite, which are sold in restaurants and cafes in a variety of different ways. There are a number of chocolate brands; with Loenidos, Wittamer and Godiva being the most popular. The Belgians invented praline, which is the general term for a filled chocolate. A true chocolate contains no preservatives and the best ones last only a few days. Frites (chips) are very popular in Belgium and are usually served in a paper cone accompanied by mayonnaise.
|
