Food
Southern Belgian cuisine is not unlike traditional French, retaining the fondness for rich sauces and ingredients that the latter has to some extent lost of late. In Flanders the food is more akin to that of Holland, with many interesting traditional dishes. Pork, beef, game, fish and seafood, especially mussels, are staple items, often cooked with butter, cream and herbs, or sometimes beer. Soups, too, are common: hearty affairs, especially in the south and the Ardennes , a region also renowned for its smoked ham and pate. In most parts of Belgium you'll start the day in routine Continental fashion with a cup of coffee and a roll or croissant. Later in the day, the most obvious snack is a portion of frites - served everywhere in Belgium from friture stalls, with just salt or mayonnaise, or, as in Holland, with more exotic dressings. Other street stalls, especially in the north, sell various sausages, and everywhere there are stands selling waffles ( gaufres ), piping hot with jam and honey. There are also the usual burger joints, including the Belgian Quick chain, and Panos, which specializes in bakery products. Many bars do meals, at least at lunchtimes, and a host of cafes serve basic dishes - omelettes, steak or mussels with chips (virtually the Belgian national dish). The distinction between the two is, however, becoming increasingly blurred with cafe/bars often the most fashionable place to be, especially in the city. You can expect to pay about ?5 for an omelette; anything more substantial will cost F8-13, though most places have a dish of the day for ?10-12.00. Though they serve very similar food, restaurants are more expensive, and sometimes only open in the evening. A main course will rarely cost under ?8.50, with ?12.50 being a more usual price. Belgium is also renowned for its chocolate . The big Belgian chocolatiers, Godiva and Leonidas, have shops in all the main towns and cities, and their pralines and truffles are almost worth the trip alone. Of the two, Leonidas is the cheaper; reckon on spending ?12.50 or so for 500g of their chocolates.
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