2023-12-03 11:00:00
Nougat from Montélimar, mulled wine and pretzels from Germany, Reblochon tartiflette from Savoie… In all the Christmas markets in Europe, you can find these essential holiday products identically. Brussels Winter Wonders are no exception to the rule. Classics to which must be added a number of dishes from the four corners of the world. Empenadas from Argentina, poutine from Quebec, Spanish paella, Italian pasta, Greek specialties, Mongolian cuisine…
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Digging a little among the 200 chalets, however, we find some typical products from Brussels and its surroundings. A quick overview of the rare Belgian-Brussels specialties from the Christmas market.
The classic stoemp (Vismet)
Marc and his family, in the stoemp chalet. ©cameriere ennio
In the Vismet chalet, three generations take turns. On the menu, a flagship and typically Brussels dish: stoemp. “It’s always a great success,” Marc told us on the opening day of the Christmas market. Apart from the Winter Wonders, Harnois goes to the markets. “It’s a classic that pleases. Many people say they don’t like Brussels sprouts, for example. Then they test it and say, ‘all things considered, I’ll take this’.”
Price: between 8 and 10€ per stoemp.
The “typically Belgian” blood sausage from Malou (Vismet)
Malou perpetuates the tradition of Christmas pudding. ©Ro.Ma.
Malou (80 years old) has been doing the market for 16 years. No need for a long map. A leader product is enough: blood sausage. Hot, cold, white, black.
”It’s typically Belgian. Especially the special Christmas puddings.” Truffle, speculoos, onions, grapes, curry, paprika… “Tourists say they want hot dogs. They discover something else like that.”
Price: between €2.30 and €3.30 for 100 grams of Christmas pudding.
Jef’s snails, “the popular product par excellence in Brussels” (Vismet)
Jef and his essential snails (Vismet). ©Ro.Ma.
No Christmas market or Midi fair without Jef. Le Laekenois is known in Brussels for its famous snails. A specialty that his family has been perpetuating for four generations. “It’s the street dish, the popular product par excellence in Brussels. Before, there were vendors on every street corner. Now they are almost all gone.”
The market veteran has not changed his recipe and remains faithful to the classics: salt, pepper, celery. “No more needed.” And suffice to say that the snails are enjoying their success. “The Spanish, the Italians, the English but also the Asians love it.”
On the other hand, a typically Brussels tradition is absent: parked mussels, namely raw mussels. “I tried to offer some on the market but there is less public here. It’s especially for the Midi fair.”
We tested the raw mussels, the “parked mussels” from the Foire du Midi: “a Brussels tradition that is being lost”
Price: €7 per tray of 10 snails.
A bar with… fricadelles (De Brouckère)
Special fricadelles at Dikkenek (De Brouckère). ©Ro.Ma.
At Dikkenek, place De Brouckère, fricadelle is king. “A lady came from Mons just to test it.” Like last year, a fricadelle bar opened its doors.
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The concept is simple: a brioche bread, a fricadelle, and a large quantity of toppings. “The Dikkenek works best. It’s with the three Bicky sauces, fried onions and pickles,” says Kilam. Also on the menu: classic, cheese, “hot”, Greek, Savoyard and truffle.
Count between €9 and €11 for the fricadelle sandwich.
“All-homemade” shrimp croquettes (Vismet)
At Kroket, on the Vismet. ©Ro.Ma.
The sea is far away but the shrimp croquette remains a trademark of Brussels gastronomy. Once once more, the artisanal restaurant Kroket (rue Caroly in Ixelles) has opened a chalet… obviously on Vismet, the old fish market square.
”It remains very popular among Belgians, more than among tourists. Everything is homemade. Even the breadcrumbs, which come from No Waste Republic. We serve the croquette – it’s tradition – with fried parsley and lemon,” says Antoine, one of the founders, wearing a Union Saint-Gilloise scarf around his neck.
Kroket, a restaurant dedicated to traditional croquettes, born from confinement
In addition to shrimp, “Mac&Cheese” croquettes, mushrooms, pork and bacalhau are offered. Price: between 6 and 7€ per croquette.
Gratinated chicory and garlic mushrooms (Bourse and Vismet)
A chicory gratin (Bourse and Vismet). ©Ro.Ma.
”Some French people ask: what is chicory?” The sign is however clear: “chicon, witloof, endive.” At the two Méga-Snack stands, chicory is featured in the form of a gratin, garnished with raclette cheese, potatoes and onions.
”Yes, it’s really Belgian. We come from Verviers, it’s popular there too. We are offering it once more this year because it works well.” The portion of “chiconette” is sold for €10. Another Belgian specialty: garlic mushrooms (also €10 per portion).
Cuberdons of all colors (Vismet)
The best-known cone in Belgium, cuberdon sells quite well at the Christmas market, we are told by the King of Cuberdon. Among these Liégeois, the product is guaranteed “fresh, made from fruit”. “The best-selling flavors are raspberry and violet.”
Also on display are apple, amaretto, speculoos, strawberry and mandarin flavors. “Tourists don’t know. They stop and test. The taste and texture are special. But often they love it. We have people who come back every year.”
Price: 9 pieces for €5.
Cougnous galore (Vismet)
Few chalets offer cougnous. ©Ro.Ma.
A timeless Saint-Nicolas treat, cougnou is rare on the Christmas market. At Vismet, the “King of Very Good Cougnon” however has an abundant display.
”We also see them in the north of France. There they are called cougnoles,” says Delphine. The most sold on the Fish Market are undoubtedly the grape and sugar figures. But we also find favors with speculoos, cherry, or even chocolate. The chalet’s pastries come from the Demaret bakery, present in Walloon Brabant and Brussels.
Prix : 5€.
Very difficult to find Brussels waffles… but there are some (Vismet)
Unquestionably, on the Brussels Christmas market, the waffle… from Liège dominates. “It’s easier to do in a chalet,” explains Marie from lagaufre.be (label active in several stations). “The dough is more compact. That of Brussels waffles is very different, more liquid.” Many foreign tourists do not really notice the difference, or even prefer the Liège waffle. “You can still find Brussels waffles in restaurants in France. The Liège waffle is more typical of Belgium.”
Waffles… from Liège in the heart of Brussels (Place Sainte-Catherine). ©Ro.Ma.
At Victor, in Vismet, however, you can find the famous Brussels sesame. “We make them at home, in advance,” says this waffle specialist for four generations and one of the founding fathers of Plaisirs d’Hiver. “I remember when we only had tents.”
On the menu at Victor, classic waffles with sugar and whipped cream… but also calorific and baroque constructions: pink coulis, fruit, marshmallow, Oreo… “Tourists love them. Especially Asians. The more loaded the waffle, the more they like it. It’s good for photos, it seems.”
More surprising, the “fir tree waffle”. “I brought this back from Alsace. It’s practical that it’s on wood, for eating with one hand and skiing for example. The dough is a little different though.”
Victor, in waffles for several generations. ©Ro.Ma.
Prix :
– At lagaufre.be: between €3 and €3.5
– Victor: between 3 and 8€
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