Monday, July 11, 2005
The truth about Belgian waffles
Reports that "Belgian waffles" are merely an American marketing ploy and that there are really no such thing, are greatly exaggerated. I'm here to tell you that Belgian waffles ("gaufres" in French) not only exist, but are actually quite delicious. I bought one at a cart in a subway station, and another in a waffle and ice cream restaurant.
Only they're not called "Belgian" waffles. Belgium boasts two waffle styles, named after their two largest cities. The Liege waffle (my personal favorate) has an irregular circular shape with a ragged edge, while the Brussels waffle is rectangular. The photo explains all. They're eggy with just a hint of crispness. Mmmm. And check out the toppings!
And check out the strategically-placed dirty rag. As I've said before, Belgium has a bit of a "thing" when it comes to cleanliness. I'm not a fastidious person, and the rag didn't keep me from ordering my Liege waffle. And the ubiquitous litter didn't keep me from enjoying Brussels.
We kind of got a warning driving into Belgium from Germany. No sooner do you cross the border than the well kept roadsides become overgrown with weeds, and the roadside rest areas are somewhat gross. It's kind of cool how national differences persist even with the European Union.
Remember "Ampelmann" in Germany? The Belgian traffic-light-man looks... well, tipsy.
Cathedrals, yadda, yadda...
Brussels Grand-Place, the city's tourist mecca with it's eye-popping Baroque architecture, if you like Baroque.
Having just come from the University of Boogie, I appreciated this:
***
Only they're not called "Belgian" waffles. Belgium boasts two waffle styles, named after their two largest cities. The Liege waffle (my personal favorate) has an irregular circular shape with a ragged edge, while the Brussels waffle is rectangular. The photo explains all. They're eggy with just a hint of crispness. Mmmm. And check out the toppings!
And check out the strategically-placed dirty rag. As I've said before, Belgium has a bit of a "thing" when it comes to cleanliness. I'm not a fastidious person, and the rag didn't keep me from ordering my Liege waffle. And the ubiquitous litter didn't keep me from enjoying Brussels.
We kind of got a warning driving into Belgium from Germany. No sooner do you cross the border than the well kept roadsides become overgrown with weeds, and the roadside rest areas are somewhat gross. It's kind of cool how national differences persist even with the European Union.
Remember "Ampelmann" in Germany? The Belgian traffic-light-man looks... well, tipsy.
Cathedrals, yadda, yadda...
Brussels Grand-Place, the city's tourist mecca with it's eye-popping Baroque architecture, if you like Baroque.
Having just come from the University of Boogie, I appreciated this:
***
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