Gastronomy in Flanders: world-class enjoyment
Boundless enjoyment of delicious food and drink: The people of Flanders know all about it. From a Brussels waffle straight off the iron to an elaborate gourmet dinner: as true foodies, we find happiness in big and small things. Flanders is known for its chips, North Sea shrimp, big-character beers and refined chocolate. But Flanders has even more qualities that steal hearts worldwide.
Some figures
8,000 pubs, 77 Michelin restaurants
Good cheer is never far away in Flanders. With as many as 8,000 pubs, you’ll always find a place to catch up over a pint. Prefer sophisticated dining? Then you have as many as 77 Michelin star restaurants from which to choose. An exceptional number for such a small area.
The 5th most popular biscuit in the world
Seventeen thousand Lotus Biscoff biscuits are eaten every minute worldwide. The Flemish company is conquering hearts internationally: In fact, Biscoff is the 5th most popular biscuit in the world. The United States are big fans of our speculoos: 80% of US supermarkets have the biscuits on their shelves.
Cheese at 408 km height
Did you know that our cheese has made it to outer space? American astronaut Shannon Walker wanted to be able to eat the cheese from ’t Groendal farm in Rumbeke during her mission on the International Space Station (ISS). Space agency NASA immediately ordered her favourites OG Kristal and Old Farmdale from the West Flanders cheesemakers.
Beer
Our beer culture is UNESCO World Heritage
We have been brewing with passion and craftsmanship since the Middle Ages, and so you will find thousands of original beers here. We have a huge variety of the golden brew: Trappist and abbey beer, wheat beer, pale ale, lambic, lager, etc. So it comes as no surprise to know that UNESCO recognised Belgian beer culture as intangible world heritage. And the largest brewery chain in the world? That one is also originally Belgian: AB InBev is headquartered in Leuven.
Discover the beer gems of Flanders’s art cities(opens in new window)
Best Beer Bar in the World
The Best Beer Bar in the World can be found… in the Pajottenland. The Eizeringen’s pub, In de Verzekering tegen de Grote Dorst (literally In the Insurance against Great Thirst), was awarded that title several years in a row, as well as the awards ‘Best Beer Bar in Belgium’ and ‘Best Beer Destination in the World’.
A visit to the over-175-year-old pub is coveted at home and abroad: especially when you know that the pub is only open on Sundays and certain public holidays.
Underground beer pipeline in Bruges
Beer has been flowing under the city of Bruges since 2016: a world’s first. Brewery De Halve Maan had the three-kilometre-long underground beer pipeline built to transport their beer from the brewing hall in Bruges to the bottling plant outside the city. The result? A much quieter and more environmentally friendly alternative to the 12 beer tankers that used to travel back and forth through the city centre every day.
Chocolate
From bitter medicine to delectable delicacy: the praline
The praline conquers many hearts worldwide. Did you know that this sweet treat was invented in Brussels? Jean Neuhaus was inspired in 1912 by his father: a chemist who coated medicines with chocolate to soften the flavour. Jean replaced the medicine with a soft creamy filling, and the praline was born.
Read the full story behind the very first Belgian praline (opens in new window)
Chocolatier helps people with throat cancer taste again
Not being able to taste your favourite food to its fullest any more: this is often a sad reality for people with throat cancer. Because of their disease and its treatment, they produce less saliva, which impacts their sense of taste. Master chocolatier Julius Persoone found a solution to that: his praline adds artificial saliva, allowing throat cancer patients to finally enjoy their favourite treat again.
Chocolate giants based in Flanders
You will find the largest and most sustainable chocolate warehouse in the world here in Lokeren. Chocolate Box is a whopping 12 football fields in size and owned by Belgian-Swiss chocolate giant Barry Callebaut. By the way, the Callebaut factory in Wieze also breaks records: it is the largest chocolate factory in the world.
Food and science
Longer and more distant space voyages
Scientist Angelique Van Ombergen researches what we can do to keep astronauts healthy during their space journeys. Proper nutrition plays a crucial role in this. Space travel has a significant impact on the body, so Angelique’s research is vital in making more distant and longer missions possible. Her efforts also caught the eye of the editors of US business magazine Forbes, which crowned her 1 of the 30 most promising scientists under 30.
Read more about Angelique Van Ombergen’s work(opens in new window)
Healthy nutrition for all thanks to Belgian research
Professor Tara Grauwet and her team are internationally renowned for the models they use to mimic human digestion, allowing them to find out exactly what happens to the different building blocks in our food during that process, and in what ways nutrients can be released. Another advantage: the model eliminates the need for human and animal testing.
Tara and her team are using the results of their research to find new ways to make food healthier and make it accessible to everyone.