Would You Like Fries With That?

Brussels has no shortage of great food options. Restaurants abound with classics like fresh Mussels, Flemish Carbonnade and Waterzooi, and cafés, offering all manner of sweet, delicate pastries. We had every intention of showcasing these gastronomical delights during my sister and her boyfriend’s recent visit to Brussels. But somehow, we ended up on a crazy adventure trying out damn near every friterie/frietkot we could find.  

Frites from Friterie Miroir, Place Reine Astrid, Jette

Truthfully, our initial mission was to encourage her boyfriend to try at least 3 new beers a day … the fries were just along for the ride. But when it quickly became apparent we had set the bar too low for our over-achieving drinker, our focus shifted to the fries themselves.

We should have known…

Belgian frites are just too good to resist.

So what is the lure of these humble, deep fried potato sticks?  Frites in French, frieten in Flemish, whatever you call them, anyone who’s tried them will tell you there is something seductively delicious about Belgian fries that’ll keep you coming back for more … and more.

Chasing beer with Frites from “Super Frites”, Tournai, after happening upon the 2nd annual beer festival

Origins

While there are different theories as to the country of origin, Belgians claim these crispy little gems as their own, noting that people in the Meuse valley (home to towns like Namur & Dinant), first turned to frying cut up potatoes when the river froze over in winters and they could no longer fish. As for the etymology of “French” fries, Belgians believe the term came about when American soldiers were introduced to the fried potatoes while stationed in Belgium during World War I. Apparently they called them French friend potatoes, knowing French was the official language in the region. Whether you believe some, all or none of the story, seeing as how I’m in Belgium, writing about Belgian frites, I’m going to run with that version of things.

Different is Good

There are many versions: the British call their thick-cut style chips, the French love their match-stick thin style, and the Canadians manage to get theirs to a dark brown, oil laden state, then smother in cheese curds and gravy (I will defend our poutine to the day I die!).

So what makes the Belgian variety so delicious?

Apparently, it’s in the double frying process. Yes, double frying.  Fried first at a low temperature, they are cooled and then fried again at a higher temperature just before serving to achieve the crispiness that is synonymous with Belgian frites. They are best enjoyed right away, which is why eating them in a ‘cornet’ in the street is so popular.

Frites in Dinant – Andalouse and some other sauce I can’t remember …

Sauce things up a bit

While North Americans are an almost 100% “fries with ketchup” eating population, a menu board at any local friterie attests to the fact that Belgians are wild about sauces.  Typically, no less than six choices are offered, with some shops getting really creative and proposing as many as twenty. Samourai, Brasil, Tsigane, Curry, Tartar, Andalouse and Americaine are just some of the mysterious options with which you can top your fries. Whether the flavours differ greatly or whether there are only subtle differences is a matter of opinion, but it can be both an indecisive consumer’s nightmare or a sauce lovers paradise.

Like any type of food, everyone has their own preferences and favourite spots to eat it, which bodes well for merchants, since a friterie exists in almost every neighbourhood. Some fries are crispier than others, some fleshier than others, and truth be told, I don’t always find the touristy or popular ones that great. I’ve been sorely disappointed by popular friteries at Place Flagey and Place Jourdan, but swear by my local joint at Place Reine Astrid.

Whether you prefer yours with mayonnaise, samourai or even boring ketchup, in a cornet or small carton, whether you eat them with your fingers or the handy little fork pick, one thing is certain, fries are so much more than just a snack, they are a serious business and a way of life. In Brussels, it seems only two things are certain, there will be rain, and by God, there will be fries.

 

The Last of the Christmas ‘Warme Wijn’

While twinkle lights cast a warm glow on the little Christmas village, the gluhwein warms our insides. What’s not to love about a Christmas market – old-fashioned, wooden shacks, a crisp winter breeze on your face, that Christmasy spirit all around and smiling vendors enticing us with everything from charcuterie and fresh cheeses to hand-knit mittens.

A walk through the Brussels Christmas market is like a magical trip back in time for me, my mind giving free rein to my wild imaginings of Christmases and people past.

Vendor in Brussels market in Place St. Catherine

Over the past few years there has been a bit of change, not only in terms of the number of stalls, but in the diversity of products offered and creative utilization of the market as an artistic venue.

Light installation “Nuage Bamboo” in Place St.Catherine

Trendy stalls have popped up tempting consumers with all manner of new products and even shots offered by the dozen (grab 11 friends or 1 … ). Thankfully, traditional Belgian favourites such as cuberdon and speculoos are still there!

Old-fashioned carousel and ferris wheel in the distance

Spending most of this December traveling, and then the holidays at home in Toronto, I did miss out on most of the Christmas vibe here in Brussels this year. However, I did get back in time to see the Christmas market in all its splendor before it packed up for the year, and to sip the last off the 2012 ‘warm wijn’!

Vin chaud/warme wijn vendor in Place St. Catherine

Relax, have a beer!

I know very little about beer.  In fact, it’s really not my thing.  It tastes bitter, which apparently goes away after one ‘acquires a taste’ for it.  I’m much more into cocktails – fun, fruity and preferably with rum.  I know.  It’s sacrilege.

The irony of living here in Belgium, home to hundreds of varieties of great beers, is not lost on me either.  However, in my defence, I’ve drunk more beer in the few months I’ve lived in Belgium than I ever drank at home.  Alright, I admit, they may have been fruity – Kriek, Framboise, Pêche, but they’re still beer, right?

Or so I thought.

I was recently given a challenge by my sister.  Go out and drink a beer that I’ve never tried before.  I took my challenge to heart.  Not only did I drink a 100% organic & traditional Lambic beer, I visited the brewery and saw it being made!

Cantillon Brewery

For those who don’t know about Lambic – let me school you 😉  Cantillon Brewery is one of very few traditional breweries left in Belgium brewing Lambic beer.  A process called ‘spontaneous fermentation’ is used to produce Lambic, and I’m told it is in the type of fermentation process that the real personality of a beer lies …

The tour itself is self-guided, and the owner thoughtfully provided both the French and English booklets upon hearing my accent, as there was a lot of ‘specialized vocabulary’ as he put it. The equipment and machinery dates from the 19th century, which I loved. With almost anything, if it looks old and historic, I love it.  I was also lucky enough to happen upon part of the cooling process in action.

At the end of my tour, while tasting my complimentary beers – both the ‘Gueuze Lambic‘ and ‘Rosé de Gambrinus‘, I had the pleasure of speaking with the owner of the brewery. Brimming with life and information on all his beers, he humorously informed me that the syrup flavoured Krieks and Framboise I favour and had been drinking to this point were not fruit beers at all.  Where is the fruit in those he asked. As he put it, if you eat cherry yoghurt which has only red food colouring in it to give you the illusion of fruit, does it really make it fruit yoghurt?  Ditto for fruit beers he said … Point taken.