If you're travelling to Flanders in Belgium, you must try these five things, says Pooja Bhula.
Chocolate Shots and Chocolate lipstick
No you don’t have to drink it, you have to inhale it. Don’t worry, I’m not referring to narcotic substances. Chocolate Line, a chocolate shop with branches in Antwerp and Brugge, offers you chocolate powder in flavours of raspberry and ginger. Along with it comes a shooter, on which the powder is placed before it is propelled into your nose. It may seem like a strange idea, but the nose likes it; especially if it’s ginger. Your nose opens up completely and will savour the chocolate smell better. But if that’s too bizarre, you can also smear your lips with their chocolate lipstick and ready them for a nice chocolatey kiss.
Goat Cheese
Pic: Jon Sullivan CC0
If you are a vegetarian travelling to Belgium, you can’t escape goat cheese. Most of the yummy veg options on the menu have it. But you won’t regret it; the Belgian way of cooking it and their innovatively pairings (pumkin soup served with goat cheese praline that has a fig filling), will rock your taste buds.
Cherry Beer and Herbal Beer
Among the hundreds (if not thousands) of beers brewed in Belgium, its Kriek (Cherry beer) is a delightful surprise. Manufactured by several brands, some can be really sweet, but you’ll also find ones that balance the flavours well. Ask shopkeepers and locals for advice as per your taste. Made in Ghent, Gruut is a lovely beer that uses herbs for brewing
instead of hops. Pick from: soft white, light blonde, deep and rich amber, smooth brown and the golden inferno.
Waffles
Pic: Vijaya Pratap
Prepare to be allured by the aroma of waffles when walking near most city centres of Belgium. You’ll find them at restaurants as well as small shops. You just can’t ignore waffles if you’re in Belgium.While tourists dote on chocolate waffles, most Belgians prefer eating them simple–hot and dusted with caster sugar. It keeps the calories down! Give it a shot and if it doesn’t work for you just ask the vendor to top it up with some whipped cream. The local markets also have small biscuit-like waffles that you can stock up for later.
Ice Creams
Pic: Shutterstock
Besides the regulars variants of chocolate and fruit flavours available in India, in Belgium you can choose from the likes of pink grapefruit, cinnamon, coconut rum, marshmallow, black cherry, apple pie and vodka vanilla. Need I tempt you more?
@PoojaBhula
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