Brussels Treats

 

There are certain stereotypes that one thinks about when you mention Belgian treats, waffles, fries and chocolate. Here’s the thing, it’s all true. First and foremost these 3 treats are available in abundance just about anywhere in Brussels or in every Belgian city I’ve ever visited. It’s not just in the tourist areas either. If you ask locals about their favourite waffle, fries or chocolate, they will have an answer. They will not be offended by this question either. It’s as if Belgian people lean into their food stereotypes with great pride.

The main reason they’re not ashamed of these stereotypes is that there’s nothing to be ashamed of. Each and every one of them is not only a well known global treat, but they make it in Belgium with such passion and quality that it’s well worth travelling to Brussels (or anywhere in Belgium really) to get a taste. I’ve decided to take a look at all three of these treats, and let you know what makes them so great.

Waffles – There are many cultures that make waffles, but there’s something very special about the waffles in Belgium. There are actually several different types of waffles available, but I suggest going for the yeast waffles or Liege waffles. The Liege waffles are super dense and have a great chewniess to them. They’re a little crunchy as well, but not the same way that most waffles are crunchy. Best of all, because of their texture they can hold up to lots of toppings. Chocolate is probably the most common and it’s always great, but you can pretty much get anything they might have on offer and not be disappointed. If you’re not sure how to know if you’re getting Liege waffles, just be sure to watch now they make them. If they pour a liquid batter in the waffles iron you’re getting the Brussels waffles (the more common kind), however, if they have a ball of dough that they put in the waffle iron it’s means they’re offering the Liege waffles.

Fries – The most common way to get fries in Belgium is moule-frites, which translates to mussels and fries. I’ll be honest, I’m not a big mussels fan, so I only get the fries. Most of the time their at least double fried, so they come out extra crispy. They’re also very often made fresh, so they’re always hot. The real difference however is the fact that they offer many different dipping sauces to dip your fries. Most of the sauces are mayonnaise based, including just mayonnaise if you like. I’ve sampled a few of these sauces and I keep coming back to the classic mayo or garlic mayo. Some people like the Americana sauce, but I could take it or leave it.

Chocolate – This is probably the Belgian treat that makes me the most excited of them all (obviously). If you’re in the old town in Brussels you will have a hard time finding any city block without at least 2 or 3 chocolate shops on it. The problem, which is a wonderful problem, is picking which one to buy from. I divide the chocolate shops into 3 categories in Brussels. 

The first is chocolate shops that sell chocolate, but don’t actually make it. They tend to sell chocolate that’s mass produced and often more expensive than you might find at a grocery store. 

The next is big name chocolate maker shops such as Neuhaus and Leonidas. These companies also mass produce their chocolate, but they do it with a great deal of care. You might find these brands in some of the chocolate shops that sell chocolate as well, however their own shops will often feature exclusive treats that are limited to their own shops.

The final type of chocolate shop you can find are the independent chocolate shops. These shops often make all their own chocolate in small batches. They also tend to be a little more experimental with the chocolates as well. The problem with these shops is they don’t always last, and sometimes they also turn into big names (but good for them, am I right). It’s not always easy finding these shops, but if you go off the beaten path a bit you might get lucky.

Hunting for the best chocolate shop is the best problem you can have. One thing I should be clear about is even the mass produced chocolate in Belgium is amazing. It’s not like getting a box of Cote D’Or at a touristy chocolate shop in the main square is going to disappoint. The one thing I would recommend however is to check out the local grocery stores first. First of all, if you plan on buying some treats for the office and you want to go a little cheaper than the hand made chocolates, grocery stores have the same chocolates as found in many of the basic chocolate shops for a lot less. Checking a grocery store will also give you an idea of what chocolate is mass produced, and what is hand made.

As two added bonuses. I discovered that there’s a street near the train station in Brussels where you will find dozens of “cash and carry” candy shops. They basically sell bulk amounts of treats at discount prices. So if you find yourself in love with a particular candy bar or treat (as well as having some bonus space in your luggage), then you might want to stop in and get yourself a whole case. Also, did you know that in Brussels, they call Brussels sprouts, just sprouts?

The Latest Episode Of Junk Fud On The Road Is All About Belgium

In this latest episode of Junk Fud On The Road, Chris and Allison take a look at a land that's known for some of the best junk food in the world.  In fact it's the birthplace of a junk food staple.

Click here to listen to past episodes from the Junk Fud podcast.

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Finding Chocolate in Belgium

Many foods popular in Belgium are not at all foreign to the Canadian palate, including French fries, waffles, and of course chocolate. Although they did not invent chocolate, its use for confections is a skill that the Belgians have mastered, arguably above any country in the world.  So when you visit the land that made chocolate great, what should you try?

The first thing you should know is that you don't have to worry about trying to find a great Belgian chocolate experience; there are plenty of opportunities.  The main problem you might find is fixating on one particular type of chocolate and not going out to experience others.  You could find yourself stepping out of your hotel room, stopping at the first chocolate shop you find, tasting a sample, and then spending all of your chocolate money in that one shop because the quality is just that good.  This is a mistake.  If you want to truly enjoy the Belgium chocolate experience the key is to spread out and buy in moderation at several shops.

The biggest problem with buying chocolates in Belgium is the overwhelming number of brands to choose from.  On the main square in Brussels alone, there are at least four shops, and down each street you'll find many more.  You don't have to sweat your choice that much; just about anywhere you buy your chocolate you will get a very high quality product.  That's not to say that there are no differences between each shop, they each just have a specialty that serves a different taste.

The two main categories of chocolates you'll find in these shops are hand made, and mass-produced.  Most people tend to gravitate towards the hand made and avoid the mass produced, or so you might think.  In fact after talking to several shop owners I discovered that the mass-produced chocolate outsells the hand made chocolate.  This happens because people want to take sweets home to friends and family and the price difference between these two types of chocolates is very extreme.  A box of mass produced, high quality, chocolates can cost you as little as 5 or 6 Euros for more than a dozen chocolates.  A high quality chocolate will often be sold by weight and can cost you between 70 cents and 1.50 Euros for an individual chocolate.

There are two distinctive kinds of stores when it comes to the high quality chocolates.  There are large chains, such as Neuhaus, Godiva, and Leonidas, which are based here in Belgium but sell all over the world.  And then there are smaller shops, and small chains of shops that only sell in Belgium such as Mary's and Loretta. The prices in these shops don't vary too much, but you'll often find that the large shops will carry their regular products that you find all over the world, along with special hand made treats only available at these stores.  The smaller stores may only sell their own products, but some may also carry some of more mainstream chocolates as well.

Finding chocolate stores in Belgium is a fairly simple task; most of the stores are crowded around the main squares in each town or city.  In Brussels the Grand Place and in the Galerie Hubert have many stores producing hand made chocolates as well as a few stores selling mass produced chocolates.  To tell them apart all you have to do is walk around the store.  If you notice bars (or as they call them tablets) made by large companies such a Cote' Dor or Godiva, then chances are the contents of the shop are the mass produced chocolates.  Companies like Godiva, NeuHause, and Leonidas, have many shops all around these areas as well, and they often feature their own bars, which can sometimes be mass-produced.

There are smaller stores outside of the main tourist areas, but they may be hard to find.  The advantage of these little out of the way shops is if you do find them you'll often get the greatest service and some very fine chocolates.  If you happen to forget to pick up a few treats for friends and family just before you leave, don't worry.  Many hotels have chocolate shops in the lobbies, and the airport is full of chocolate shops as well.

Now that you know a little about what kind of chocolate shops can be found in Belgium, the question is how do you pick the perfect chocolate?  My method is simple, fun, and will guarantee a great chocolate selection.  Take your time and sample, don't let the store clerks intimidate you into buying full boxes right off the bat, instead walk around the city, enjoy visiting the sites, and sample from as many chocolate shops as you can.  Many, but not all shops, may offer you free samples, don't be shy and take them.  If they don't offer samples, then invest a Euro and pick one chocolate that appeals to you.  Spend a day or two just visiting sites and sampling treats, then after you've sampled as many chocolates as you possibly can, and you're a chocolate connoisseur, go back to your favorite places and pick up a box or two for home.  Don't buy too much, since most of the fine chocolates will drop in quality when stored for long periods of time, some can go off in as little as a few days.

The best tip I can suggest when you're either sampling or making your final purchases is to ask for help, in fact, I've found that my favorite shops always have very good staff.  If the staff isn't helpful and knowledgeable, then it might be a sign as to the quality of the chocolate.  Every store I visited that had excellent products had a knowledgeable and helpful staff.  The staff at Mary's in particular knew every single detail about the chocolates being sold as well as a keen general knowledge about chocolate.

In many shops you might find chocolates filled with all kinds of flavor combinations, from black pepper, hot peppers, fruits, and salts. Seasonal treats and new flavors are also something to look out for when choosing chocolates.  The shops that include seasonal products in their chocolates, are a special treat, and are a sign of an expert and creative chocolatier.  If fancy flavors don't appeal to you, you can be sure to find chocolates in fun shapes for every season and occasion as well.  Including some that are rather risque, and many stores have their own rendition of the famous Brussels statue of the Manneken Pis(the famous statue of the little boy peeing).

Before you overdose on hand made chocolates, make sure to sample all the forms of chocolate available as well.  One of the most popular ways to enjoy chocolate can be found in the “Gaufre au Chocolat”, but you might know them better as a Belgian waffle with chocolate.  There are many places to get these fine treats as well as many different toppings to enjoy.  My personal favorite is the simple drizzle of fine Belgian chocolate, it's a taste experience you can't miss.  Belgian chocolate also produces one of the finest hot chocolates you could ask for.  It's a great way to warm up on a cool day with a fine pastry sitting in a cafe watching the world go by.

To try and find the “best” chocolate in Belgium is a task that no one person could ever do.  To attempt to find the “best” chocolate in Belgium will guarantee one of the best vacations for any chocolate lover.  This city is truly a place where one can spend the whole day wandering through twisting streets, seeing great sights, and over indulging on chocolate in all its splendor.  No matter what your chocolate tastes might be, you will find something that will blow your socks off and send you into chocolate bliss.

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This Week In Candy

So much to talk about this week.  First of all I tried the Ice Cream Sandwich flavour of Snack Pack this weekend, and I don't really get it.  Ice cream sandwiches are vanilla ice cream with chocolate cookies, and this Snack Pack is flavoured with vanilla and chocolate.  What I don't get is where does the cookie and/or ice cream come in.  I guess I could freeze one of these and it would be a little more ice cream like, but still no cookie.  I think it would have been really cool if they could have done something with the texture of the chocolate to make it more cookie like, and why not make it a frozen treat too.  Not bad, but not what I wanted.

Also, I've decided to start a collection of photos of candy counters from all over the world over the last week.  I've asked a few candy stores to contribute photos of their front of house so we can see how cool and different each store is, and many have sent in photos.  I'm still hoping for more contributions, so if you own a store send me a photo and I'll include it on our Candy Map, and on our social media (with a link back to your store).  If you don't own a store, but you know of a great one to feature, ask the owner if you can take a picture and contribute it to our new project.

We've also started to support a new cause here at Candy Critic.  The Beals brothers are trying to make a fun movie about candy called The Hard Candy Kid, and they're looking to get some contributors.  It looks like a really fun project, and I'm a huge supporter of Candy themed art, so I thought I'd share it with you guys.  Check out their Kick Starter page for more details.

Finally, this week we're going to be featuring an article I wrote a little while back about Belgian chocolate.  It's the perfect guide to one of the best chocolate countries in the world.  Going to Belgium can be overwhelming with so many chocolate choices, so I have a few tips to help you get the most of your chocolate experience.

Since we're talking about Belgian chocolate, I thought it would be great to learn a few more facts about one of the great chocolate countries.  So this week's Snack Facts are all about Belgian chocolate.  If you want to learn a new fact about Belgian chocolate every day this week (and keep learning about snacks every weekday after), then follow us on Instagram.  If you don't use Instagram, you can also follow Snack Facts on our Twitter and Facebook feeds as well.

This week's new review is online, and it's a bit of an anomaly.  See what happens when I get disappointed by a candy brand that normally makes some of the best chocolate bars in the world.  Click here to see who disappointed me, and why.

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Candy News

In 20 years, will we be eating the same amount and the same quality of chocolate?

I can't say that I've ever been in a store that specializes in Mexican candy before, but I'd like to.

New custom Ring Pops sound really great, if only I could propose to my wife again.

With the price of cocoa going up, chocolate makers are starting to change their recipes to keep prices down.

If you happen to visiting Chicago, you might want to sample some of their fine caramels.

When your box of chocolates says "Belgian Chocolate", it might not have actually been made in Belgium.  But that's going to change.

Watching candy getting made is a thrill, watching donuts getting made is the best way to start your day... assuming you have a donut in hand to deal with the serious craving you will have.

To dunk or not to dunk, according to science you'd better dunk.

If you've managed to avoid eating all of your Easter chocolate, here's a great guide to keeping your chocolate fresh.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Candy Art - Belgium Has Some Great New Statues

Friends Eat has a great collection of photos from a special event taking place in Brussels called Brusselicious.

The event is designed to celebrate all the fine foods made famous in Brussels  including their sprouts, frites, muscles and of coarse...

Chocolate.  For the event they've set up some great looking art in tribute to the foods made famous in this awesome place.

The only thing that would make this art better is if you could eat it too.

Click here to read more, and see more photos, of this great event.

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European Chocolate Bar Review-A-Thon - Part 3

Who would have thought that in a European chocolate bar review-a-thon, a Belgian chocolate bar would actually get one of the lowest ratings.  I'm not putting down the quality of Belgian chocolate, in fact it still remains one of my favorite chocolate destinations in the world.  The problem with this treat is a bad combination of ideas.

Click here to read this entry into our European chocolate bar review-a-thon.

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Tuesday's Candy Links

The United States FDA is inspecting Belgian chocolate plants... you know that the "F" stands for federal... right?

I don't like the idea that chocolate is produced through child labour, it's an idea that keeps me up at night and makes me feel guilty about this whole site.  It appears progress is being attempted, I just hope it works.

Food trends for 2012, you know the year just started right?

CNN aired a really interesting interview about the cocoa business and child labor, well worth watching.

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Airport Find - Worst Coke Machine Design Ever

One of my favorite things about traveling is checking out airports.  In particular I love checking out all of the unique treats and treat advertising that you can only find in airports.  On my recent trip to Brussels I took note of a few of the great candy displays and exclusive treats, and I'm going to post a new one every day this week.

Seriously?..  Do I really have to write any words down here to explain how wrong this Coke machine is?  Why in the world would anybody from Coca-Cola approve this?  I'm not complaining, but I'm also not tempted to buy a Coke right now .

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Pickles Chips

One of the most interesting thing about visiting the northern part of Belgium is checking out some of the old war monuments and sites.  Being Canadian there are many places to visit that have great historical ties to Canada, one such places is Passchendaele.  Passchendaele is a site where many Canadians fought and triumphed in WWI.  On top of one of the ridges is a great monument to the Canadian soldiers lost during that battle.  It was very moving to stand in that place.

Right after visiting that site, Allison and I decided we'd stop at a grocery store only a few meters away to get a snack.  My heart leaped with joy when while looking through the snack section I found that they sold pickle chips.  I later discovered that they in fact sell pickle chips all over Belgium, but to discover this right after visiting a site dedicated to some fine Canadians made me feel really home sick and proud.

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Belgian Candy Windows - The Window Type

The widows of the chocolate shops in Belgium are spectacular, almost as spectacular as the chocolates themselves.  The level of competition between the chocolate shops in this country is staggering, so you would imagine they put a lot of effort towards their windows to attract customers.  For the next two weeks I'm going to show you some of the great themes and ideas I came across while searching out my chocolate paradise.

While the set up of any chocolate shop window is important, so can the actual window itself.  The type of window you see at a chocolate shop can really say a lot about the kind of chocolate they sell.  Some windows are full of signs and strange sculptures, and these shops often sell boxes of chocolate there are mass produced and other touristy stuff.  Other windows are a large single pieces of glass, very clean, and often featuring simple and modern looking hand made chocolates.  Then there are the window like the one featured above, these windows are a little rough around the edges and very traditional looking.  For the most part, other than a few pieces here and there, these windows look right into the store and the hand made chocolates for sale in the store.

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Belgian Candy Windows - Manikin Piss

The widows of the chocolate shops in Belgium are spectacular, almost as spectacular as the chocolates themselves.  The level of competition between the chocolate shops in this country is staggering, so you would imagine they put a lot of effort towards their windows to attract customers.  For the next two weeks I'm going to show you some of the great themes and ideas I came across while searching out my chocolate paradise.

There's something very disturbing about the number of chocolate shop windows that feature Manneken Pis (the famous statue of the little boy peeing).  The closer you get to the real sculpture the more you see of them too.  In fact it's amazing how many chocolate shops are right next to the statue of Manneken Pis.  Other than a pub across the road it's pretty much surrounded.  While I appreciate the pop art idea of these windows, I have to admit it feels a little creepy seeing a whole city celebrating a little boy peeing.  But I guess if that's what people want to see, then that's what these shops will deliver.

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Belgian Waffles

When I told some friends who had already visited Belgium that I was going, every single one of them told me that I must have a "gaufre au chocolat".  My french is OK, so I knew they were referring to a chocolate treat of some kind, but I wasn't sure exactly what a "gaufre" was.  I thought about researching it before I went, but since Allison was coming with me, and she knew exactly what they were talking about I decided to let it be a surprise.  For those more worldly people, you know that a gaufre au chocolat, is a waffle with chocolate.  In particular it is a Belgian style waffle with chocolate.  I also assume that those of you that are more worldly than I used to be would know how absolutely spectacular these waffles are.

What you start with seems like an average every day waffle... but that's not true at all.  In North America, Belgian waffles are only different because they are thicker than normal waffles.  The difference in Belgium however is in the cake, not just the size.  In Belgium waffles use a yeast dough instead of a batter.  Instead of being a crispy treat with a really light center, it's more of a cake dough with a crispy outside.  In some cases I found pockets of sugar inside these waffles as well.  I'm not sure if that's from the makers not mixing the dough well enough or if it was done on purpose.  Honestly, I really liked these pockets of sugar, so I'm hoping it's on purpose.

After cooking your waffle the next step is pretty much up to the person that's going to eat it.  First of all, since you're in Belgium I recommend getting chocolate on your "gaufre".  In fact, the first one you try, I recommend you just get chocolate and nothing else.  I can assure you that you'll be hooked very quickly and it won't be your last.  After your first I think it's safe to be a little experimental with your toppings.  I couldn't get over how good the melted chocolate was, so each of my gaufres had to have a chocolate element.  The gaufre above was pretty tasty, it was a nice whipped cream with chocolate.  The only problem with these tasty waffles is since it's a street food it's really hard to eat and messy, but that's what napkins are for.

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Belgian Candy Windows - Fruity Cones

The widows of the chocolate shops in Belgium are spectacular, almost as spectacular as the chocolates themselves.  The level of competition between the chocolate shops in this country is staggering, so you would imagine they put a lot of effort towards their windows to attract customers.  For the next two weeks I'm going to show you some of the great themes and ideas I came across while searching out my chocolate paradise.

I'm not sure what these little cones of fruity goodness are called, but boy are they tasty.  It seems that many chocolate stores offer these as a chocolate alternative.  I couldn't really figure out why they would need a chocolate alternative, but I guess there are some people that come to Belgium and they're not interested in chocolate...  If anybody has more information on these little cones I'd appreciate it, all I know is they did contribute some nice colour contrast to the often brown and white chocolate windows.

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Belgian Candy Windows - Flawless Fountain

The widows of the chocolate shops in Belgium are spectacular, almost as spectacular as the chocolates themselves.  The level of competition between the chocolate shops in this country is staggering, so you would imagine they put a lot of effort towards their windows to attract customers.  For the next two weeks I'm going to show you some of the great themes and ideas I came across while searching out my chocolate paradise.

The chocolate fountain really seems to be a popular thing in Belgium, with almost every single shop displaying one in the window.  Makes me kind of proud since many candy historians trace the chocolate fountain's origins to Canada.  The great thing about the fountains in Belgium is how perfectly they flow, you never see a gap in the flow at all, it's almost mesmerizing.  That probably means they're only for display in most cases, but that doesn't matter because they smell great and there's lots of other chocolate to sample at these stores.  Some stores do use them, and they cover fresh fruit in chocolate right in front of your eyes.  One day I think I may rent one of these and just spend the day eating chocolate covered... well everything.

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Belgian Candy Windows - Nice Boxes

The widows of the chocolate shops in Belgium are spectacular, almost as spectacular as the chocolates themselves.  The level of competition between the chocolate shops in this country is staggering, so you would imagine they put a lot of effort towards their windows to attract customers.  For the next two weeks I'm going to show you some of the great themes and ideas I came across while searching out my chocolate paradise.

Chocolates in Belgium are not always just about the fine quality chocolate and great fillings, in many ways it's also about the look of the chocolate itself.  Really, this is the goal of every chocolatier, to create a beautiful chocolate that tastes as good as it looks.  It's also important, if you're going to take so much time in making these works of art, to make sure they look great when you get them home.  Many stores put a great deal of effort into their packages making sure they look so good you're almost tempted not to eat them.  The folks at Pierre Ledent are so keen on their packages that they take center stage of their windows.

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How You Know You're In Chocolate Heaven

If you ever needed proof that Belgium really is the chocolate capital of the world, I have it for you here.  Above is a photograph of a Cote D'Or Dessert 58 bar (that's a high quality treat) and a can of Canada Dry Ginger Ale.  Both purchased from the same store, and both tasted fantastic.  Now here's the amazing part:

The Canada Dry cost 85 cents, a slightly more expensive price for a drink, but not extreme.  The Cote D'or cost 69 cents, a very low price for such a high quality bar.  I have never in my life seen a fine, high quality, chocolate bar go for less than a can of Ginger Ale.  Belgium has their priorities in order I tell you.

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The Last of The Belgian Chocolate Review-A-Thon

As much as this is the last of the Belgian chocolate review-a-thon, I do have to admit that this is not the last of the Belgian chocolate for me. I did buy a few other treats, some I'll review, others I'll just scarf down with a great deal of joy.

Click here to read the last review in the Belgian chocolate review-a-thon.

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Classic/Creative Candy Advertising - The Waffle

You can't go to Belgium and not eat a waffle... I'll have more on the subject later.

Ad found on Vintage Ad Browser

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Belgian Fast Food

This trip to Belgium wasn't all about chocolate and candy, although that was the focus.  I did have to eat meals as well, and although I tried, Allison insisted that chocolate cake is not a meal.  When I travel I tend to visit fast food locations for lunches and quick dinners.  I find I'm on the run a lot and I rarely want to sit down, except for a few dinners here and there.  I also get a kick trying out many of the different fast food choices all over the world.

Belgium has one obvious fast food choice, the french fry.  After all french fries are said to have been invented in Belgium, and boy do they do them right.  First of all you get a huge selection of sauces to choose from.  Mayonnaise is the popular choice, but the tastiest choice is the pickle sauce that I think they call Americana.  I'm not sure why they call it that since I've never actually seen this sauce in the United States.

The popular way to do the fries seems to be a double fry method that makes them super crispy.  They also like to dish them out in waxed paper cones that can be tricky to eat, just make sure you carry plenty of napkins.  You can always tell a good french fry place by how deranged their french fry statue mascot is.  The fries from the place pictured above were fantastic.

I also made a stop at a McDonald's on the road.  Every country I visit the McDonald's always has some kind of unique hamburger that I'm fairly certain the locals believe can be found in the United States.  For the most  part they're amazed if I tell them I've never heard of it.

The name of this burger confuses me a little.  You'd assume that 1955 was the date that McDonald's was founded, but according to my research it was founded in 1940.  1955 is the year Ray Crock bought the chain and turned it into the monolith that it is today.  Seems a little strange to celebrate the day your fast food chain went corporate.  On a side note the burger patty was huge and it was pretty tasty.

McDonald's in Belgium also makes sure you're not without your french fry sauces either.  They offer ketchup, mayonnaise and "Frites".

The "Frites" is actually the pickle sauce I mentioned earlier.  It's pretty good and I encourage other branches to try offering this stuff too, particularly the ones near my house.  However I would like it more if they didn't charge 50 cents for each sauce, that's a bit of a bummer.  They also don't serve breakfasts at McDonald's in Belgium, they just open at 9 and start selling burgers.

One of our last stops was to pick up a Quick Burger.  I fell in love with these guys when Allison and I did a cross France road trip a few years back.  In some European countries they're more prolific than McDonald's.

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