What do people eat in wintertime in Belgium?

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Maastricht or Lanaken, to be exact. Company's coming for Christmas. Most of the party are American expats (15 years), but the rest are native Belgians. They're all saying, "We can eat anything," but I want to be sure to have something they'll like.

 

Anybody here ever have breakfast, lunch, or dinner in Maastricht?

[OrganicAnn]

Waffles!

 

I remember loving the waffles. Otherwise Belgium food is similar to both German and French food. Of course I was only there for 2 days.

 

Actually we've found that when people from foreign counties visit, they want "typical American food". If you went to Belgium wouldn't you be disappointed if they didn't serve you typical Belgium food and tried to serve you American food?

 

Oh and Beer.

[momma2three]

I had an omelette for every meal when I went... but I was also a vegetarian, and that was the only vegetarian item on any restaurant menu. :tongue_smilie:

[Stacia]

Dh is Belgian & he says that the Belgians don't really have tradtional foods for holidays; it is more of eating whatever foods are seasonally available.

 

At fil's house (Belgian), we have fondue every year for Christmas. (Meat & fish.) Sides are a salad (mixed dark greens), olives, french fries, etc.... Dessert is a Buche de Noel.

 

Belgians I know will eat anything esp. in comparison to most Americans I know.

 

My fil is a great cook & I can ask him for some ideas, if you'd like me to....

 

Do you have Dutch (from the Netherlands) & Belgians coming? I'm asking since Maastrict is a city in the Netherlands. There is a slight difference in palate between the Dutch & the Belgians, according to my dh.

 

If you're going to serve beer, I'd get something good, lol. Belgians are the world's experts on beers. And chocolates. (You must have chocolates available.) They would probaby appreciate Nutella, esp. along w/ breakfast.

Edited August 19, 2012 by Stacia

[TravelingChris]

I lived in Belgium for three years. They eat more naturally in Belgium than many do in the states and I will give you some names of the specialties but they aren't looking for Belgian food here in the US. ALso, Belgium, like probably all highly civilized countries, has cuisines from many countries represented in restaurants. I lived in a village and near a small town. We had Chinese, Italian, Turkish, and of course, Belgian restaurants near us. I am sure that in the larger cities like Bruxelles and Antwerpen there are even more cuisines available. Oh and every where there were things like McDonald;s around.

 

Typical Belgian meals include mussels in many ways and waterzoit. Other dishes very popular, though not only in Belgium, are steak and frites (which were invented in Belgium and are double fried and much better than normal American fries), and waffles are for snack food- usually sold out of vendor carts with things like powdered sugar or dark chocolate sauce on them.

[jennynd]

I have a friend at work whose wife is Belgium, I will refer the question to hima nd report back:):)

[TravelingChris]

Oh, I should have said something about breakfast- that is not at all like Amercan breakfast. They like to have rolls, butter, cheeses, cold cuts, fruits, and coffee. They don't do cereals or any type of hot meal at all. Omelettes are for light dinners or maybe a lunch and frites and a salad are usually accompanying. Other lunch foods include Croque Madame and Croque Monsiur - which are forms of grilled cheese or grilled cheese and ham but the cheese is not American but gruyere. They tend to eat their sandwhiches differently too= roll instead of bread, which is buttered and then has cold cuts or cheese or both. No lettuce or tomato on a sandwich, normally.

[TravelingChris]

Oh and their salads are different too- one thing they do and so do many of the surrounding countries is to give you a layered or segmented salad with lettuce, carrots, corn, tomatoes, etc, but not tossed. You can toss it or not. Note the corn- they serve corn in salads as we also saw in Germany and in France.

[Stacia]

they aren't looking for Belgian food here in the US

 

:iagree:

 

Based on the Belgians in my life, they appreciate a delicious meal & good company over a long dinner.

[TravelingChris]

NOw for Christmas, a Buche du Noel is typical. Also spekerloo cookies are popular.

 

Oh and I forgot to add that turkey is a popular ingredient in meals along with chickens, ducks, beef. But at Christmastime, all types of untypical meats are also available- springbok, for example.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Thank you all sooo much. I'm going to print this thread.

 

Last time they were here (some of the party are relatives) they said they liked staying with us best because we had plain, fresh whole foods, and lots of variety, but I wanted to fix something a little more impressive and pleasing since they'll be here at Christmas.

 

I'm not sure whether the friends traveling with our relatives are Dutch or Belgian; they all live in Maastricht now but BIL knows people from all over.

[Mom2Es]

Actually we've found that when people from foreign counties visit, they want "typical American food". If you went to Belgium wouldn't you be disappointed if they didn't serve you typical Belgium food and tried to serve you American food?

 

That reminds me of when my DH went to Germany and tried to find a restaurant serving "German food" and couldn't because all the restaurants in town served Italian fare! Apparently, when Germans go out to eat, they don't want the same old stuff they eat at home.

 

But then an older Englishman friend of mine told me that when his family visits the U.S., they get overwhelmed with all the variety. That's just not their style. He said, "When we are in the U.S., we like Shoney's." :lol:

 

I think your best bet is not to try to match what they would normally eat. Don't serve them waffles or chocolate because it won't be as good as what they can get at home. My grandmother never understood why people like to eat at Cracker Barrel, because it was the same as what she cooked at home, but not as good (she preferred Pizza Hut).

 

I had a Belgian co-worker about seven years ago. He liked rabbit. And beer. I can't remember what else.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Well, no, I wouldn't try to imitate exactly. But I felt like I lucked into serving what they liked last time; they said they'd had a wonderful visit to the States with other friends and relatives but couldn't face any more fried chicken, pizza, or corn, for example. :lol: They said this as they enjoyed my sausage and vegetable soup, raw veggie crudites, pickles, German potato salad, and beet salad. But it was a fluke. Any other day I would have had meat and vegetables but probably too many starches and probably the corn that was bothering them.

 

I know the SAD nearly incapacitates SIL when she is here. She just no longer has an American digestive system. She prefers LCHF, lots of veg. BIL is too thin and just kind of stops eating while he's in America, and I really want him to be able to relax and eat here.