July is the month of independence celebrations, as 26 countries celebrate an independence day this month. One of those countries is Belgium, which celebrates its independence from the Netherlands on July 21. It marks the anniversary of swearing Leopold I as the first King of Belgium in 1831, thus the start of the modern kingdom.
My mom is originally from Belgium, having grown up in Rumbeke, a small town near Bruges. In 1988, she met my dad while he was stationed in Brussels. Two years later, she moved to the United States to begin their new life together.
In 2002, I entered the world! It was really important to my mom that I knew my Belgian roots. We traveled to Belgium every summer for three weeks to visit my family, going to the North Sea beaches, Plopsaland De Panne, and day trips to Brussels and Antwerp.
During the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Belgium and the U.S. played against each other. I was torn between the two; do I support my home country or my heritage that makes up one half of me? Belgium ended up winning 2-1 and I was happy that Belgium won, which was a mother-daughter secret we kept from my dad. For the 2016 World Cup, my mom bought me a Kevin de Bruyne jersey which I wore religiously. We both shed a few tears when Belgium lost to France in the semi-finals.
Even though I refused to learn Dutch when I was younger (which I greatly regret now), my mom infused Belgian culture into our home through food. Of course, fries, waffles and crêpes were staples in my house; waffles were not topped with syrup but with butter and powdered sugar. At school potlucks, I remember always feeling internally superior to my classmates when I ate their crêpes because they weren’t made right…not the Belgian way.
When I would make crêpes with her in our kitchen. We had special crêpe pans to ensure the thin and soft texture. Once, she tried to teach me how to flip the crepe with the pan. As a clumsy 10 year old, that did not go well. The crêpe took flight and landed on our kitchen floor.
New Year's day dinner was always moules-frites with white asparagus and a light salad. During the summer, we had endless fondue parties with friends and family. Small bits of meat were cooked in a hot pot of oil and with sides of fries and fresh vegetables. The dinner parties always concluded with mom’s specialty, chocolate mousse.
During the winter months, my favorite meal was chicons au gratin (endives wrapped in ham topped with gruyere cheese). One time, she made the dish with leeks but she “forgot” to inform me and my dad of this recipe change. You can imagine how that went.
As we celebrated the Fourth of July with a copious amount of hot dogs and hamburgers, you can do the same with these classic Belgian dishes on July 21.
1. Frites
I say frites and not french fries because fries originated from Belgium, not France! Pair with mussels (moules frites) or steak, or have them by themselves as a snack. If you’re going to be authentic, you must eat them with mayonnaise — no exceptions.
2. Waffles
As stated earlier, waffles are topped with butter and powdered sugar, sometimes whipped cream, chocolate, and fruit. They are considered more of a street food, and there are two main variations: Brussels waffles and Liège waffles. Brussels waffles are the typical one that Americans think of: light, crispy, rectangular with deep pockets. Liège waffles are a small and a denser type with chunks of pearl sugar inside — great for on-the-go.
3. Crêpes
The cool thing about crêpes is that they can be sweet or savory. Toppings range from brown sugar and strawberries to eggs and ham. Belgium loves their crêpes so much that they have a declared day for crêpes. February 2 is the designated day to indulge in this sweet (or savory) treat. Tips if you are going to make crêpes at home: 1. The first few crêpes always turn out bad. 2. Crêpes are thin, not pancakes!
4. Frikkadel
Another snack, frikkadel is a deep-fried skinless sausage that can be enjoyed on its own, a toasted bun, or with sauces like mayonnaise or curry ketchup (the only acceptable ketchup in Belgium; anything else is insulting to us Belgians).
5. Filet Américain
The Dutch version of steak tartare flavored with eggs, onions, capers, and mayonnaise. The best way to enjoy filet américain is on a toasted baguette, I like to top mine with cocktail onions.
6. Chocolate
Belgian chocolate is a major industry and has been since the 19th century. Producing about 172,000 tons of chocolate each year, the two most recognizable are pralines (filled chocolate) and truffles. You can go with the most well known chocolatier, Godiva, but I highly recommend the brand Côte D’Or.
7. Beer
You can’t leave out Belgian beer on a must-try food list. A backbone of Belgian cuisine and culture, beer is everywhere throughout the country. Brands I recommend are Stella Artois (pilsner), Duvel (pale ale), Leffe (abbey), Lindemans (for fruity beer lovers), and Rodenbach (which is actually from my mom’s hometown, Roeselare! A sour ale and a personal favorite).