Bites from Brugge

After a whirlwind tour of Amsterdam and a couple hours traveling by train, I stepped out into the hot, cobblestone streets of Brugge with no knowledge of the city or expectations. I had “appetite” for learning about this new place, and in the short walk from the station to the hostel, I got a real “taste” of the history, culture, and tradition of this medieval city through the nationalism and pride the locals share in traditional foods.

Our first stop was at the grandiose Markt, which appeared to be the town’s center square. I took in all the new architecture, languages, and people, but more importantly the scents—a mixture of sea air and carnival food. One unusual sight was two fry stands right next to each other. It’s a famous rivalry between two fry companies which attract customers all throughout the day and even into morning, making their final sales at 7:00 AM. Fries, which Belgian’s claim to have invented, are served with all kinds of unusual concoctions which make our traditional ketchup seem plain. Some examples include hot sauce, curry mustard, and the most popular, mayonnaise. These two stands sit right beneath the 366 steps to the top of the city’s bell tower, which you may want to consider climbing after one of these not-so-good-for-you snacks. Tea rooms line the square and serve fresh Belgian waffles smothered in fresh fruit, strawberries and whipped cream, or banana and chocolate.

Walking under the archway, I approached another square called the Burg, which is home to more restaurants as well as churches. I stopped at a restaurant for dinner to sample some Belgian specialties here as well. These included mussels in white wine sauce as well as Flemish stew, and rabbit cooked in beer sauce—all of which were delicious. Brugge’s history and geography combine to provide an explanation for their famous cuisines. With a location on what used to be the Zwin River which provided a direct route to the North Sea, Brugge used to be a trade center. Its excellent location brought wealth and power to Brugge, making it a location of constant conflict. With occupations by the Germans and the French, the food integrates both traditions. The meat, potatoes, and beer from Germany—the waffles and tea rooms from France. The mussels are native to Belgium due to its location on the water.

Next came the strip of stores we took back to our hostel. It seemed like every other store was a chocolate store—which was fine by me. Belgium is known for its chocolate (most famous for pralines). There is even an entire museum dedicated to it, including a life-size chocolate statue of Barack Obama. Brugge’s location made it accessible to trade with all countries, including Spain which brought cacao beans—hence the chocolate.

Although Brugge seemed like an older crowd, there was a strong dedication to beer. Among the various bars, there were stores selling the over 700 types of beer brewed in Belgium. A few paces ahead you’ll see the monumental “Wall of Beer” which encases the Belgian beers and their matching glasses, all of which you can purchase at the specialty store called “The Bottle Shop”. North Belgium is relatively flat with a milder climate, but its location near the coast lends to a heavy precipitation. This is great for growing its major crops of barley, hops and wheat used to produce beer. The popular types are strong Trappist beers which are native to monasteries, their fruit-flavored lambics, and their wheat beers.

After having a traditional dinner, and grabbing some Belgian drinks, we quickly reached our hostel in time to explore the night life. In this short walk down the alleys and canals of Brugge, I had satisfied by hunger for knowledge about the region, its history and its culture, all through its great national pride in its specialty cuisine.