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Belgian Recipes

18 recipes

Belgian cooking has two voices, Flemish and Walloon, and one shared love of good food served in generous portions. Potatoes sit at the center: fries are fried twice, mashed into stoemp with carrots or leeks, and boiled beside asparagus and fish. Beer is a cooking ingredient as much as a drink, giving depth to beef stew, and the neighboring North Sea supplies mussels, tiny grey shrimp and flatfish. Cream, butter and eggs enrich classics such as waterzooi and vol-au-vent, while endive, leeks, asparagus and sprouts mark the seasons. Meals are hearty, with a sweet and sour streak from vinegar, mustard and apple and pear syrup. Baking is serious business: yeasted waffles with pearl sugar, raisin bread, spiced biscuits and a long list of chocolate desserts. Waffles and fries are street food, and family tables fill up on Sunday for stews and pastry cases.

Staple ingredients

Appetizers

Soups

Salads

Main Dishes

Side Dishes

Breads

Desserts

Common questions

What is Belgian food known for?

Fries served with mayonnaise, mussels, waffles, chocolate and beer. Beef stew cooked in beer, waterzooi and croquettes are classic main dishes and starters.

What is the national dish of Belgium?

Moules-frites, steamed mussels served with fries, is the dish most often called national. Many Belgians would also name stoofvlees, the Flemish beef and beer stew, served with fries.

Is Belgian food spicy?

No. Flavors come from butter, cream, mustard, vinegar, herbs and beer, and spicy heat is rare. Sweet and sour combinations, such as in Liège meatballs, are more typical.