Manneken Pis

Yes, almost everyone has seen a picture of the statue of a little boy peeing into the basin of a fountain—Manneken Pis. He is said to represent the rebellious nature of the city of Brussels. Naturally, Americans visiting Manneken Pis will likely question why they are watching a little boy pee, but it does get weirder—the city makes clothes for him. Manneken Pis has a wardrobe. The statue itself is naked, but at different times during the year, Manneken has outfits that he wears—nearly 800 different outfits at last count. His costumes are managed by a nonprofit organization called The Friends of Manneken Pis. The organization reviews thousands of design drawings each year, and selects a few to be created and used. There are many replicas of Manneken Pis: one in Geraardsbergen, one in Japan, but one lesser known fact, is that there is a sister statue to Manneken Pis, and it’s located in Brussels as well. Jeannekke Pis is a much more recent addition to the city of Brussels than her brother, Manneken, and she is tucked away in a small alley consisting of a few restaurants and Delirium Bar (a bar famous for its thousands of beers). Jeanneke receives much fewer visitors, and does not have a wardrobe, but it’s an interesting find for anyone wandering Brussels! So be sure to stop by and hopefully you’ll catch Manneken on a day when he has an outfit on!

A Breakdown of the Most Famous Beers

While there are more than 800 famous beers brewed in Belgium, I figured I would start with a simple break down of the top four most popular beers in recent years. Leffe, Duvel, and Hoegaarden are some of the most well known and popular beers in Belgium and around the world.

It should be noted that each different beer has its own glass, and it will only be served in that glass. Each glass is shaped to heighten the beer’s distinctive qualities, for instance, some are shaped to allow for a larger head, keep the beer colder longer, or to allow for a specific flow of the bubbles.

Leffe. Leffe is an abbey beer, brewed in the Abbaye Notre Dame de Leffe in Dinant, Belgium. There are six different types: Blonde (my favorite, pictured above), Brown, Radieuse, Ruby, Tripel, 9”, as well as two seasonal brews. Leffe Blonde is a highly fermented beer with a 6.6% alcohol content; it is a fantastic drink for a warm summer day. Visit the Leffe website at http://www.leffe.com/en or schedule a tour of the abbey at http://www.abbaye-de-leffe.be/-English-.

Duvel. Brewed over 90 days, Duvel has an 8.5% alcohol content. It is brewed at the Moortgat Brewery headquartered in Breendonk, Belgium. Duvel is slightly heavier, and with a higher alcohol content, you need to watch out or you might be caught off guard. Visit the Duvel website at http://www.duvel.be/#/us/en/home where you can also schedule a visit to the brewery, including lunch and a beer tasting, if you wish.

Hoegaarden. Hoegaarden is a smooth, light, wheat beer created in the De Kluis Brewery in Hoegaarden, Belgium with a 4.5% alcohol content. Four other types of beer are also brewed: Rosée, Citron, Speciale, and Grand Cru. With a much lower alcohol content, this beer is easy to drink at any occasion. Visit the Hoegaarden website at http://www.hoegaarden.com/AgeCheck/display.

I hope you enjoy! Of course, try everything, and more than once!

You Have to Start With Waffles

I am starting this blog with the intention of giving advice to those who are going to visit the hidden gem country of Belgium. My mother is Belgian, and I was born in Ghent, Belgium. Half of my family still lives in the Ghent area, and we visit once a year; each time finding new restaurants, treasures, and places to explore, and with this blog I am hoping to share some of those with you.

Whenever someone thinks of Belgium, likely the first thing that comes to mind is beer. Of course, I will write plenty about beer, but I would like to dedicate this first post to my favorite… waffles. Everyone knows the Brussels waffle: the light, fluffy, square waffle that can be loaded up with strawberries, whipped cream, chocolate, powdered sugar, and really any topping that you can think of. But what I HIGHLY suggest to anyone that is going to be in Belgium is to try the Brussels waffle’s lesser known stepsister, the Luikse waffle.

While it is cheaper, less prestigious, and arguably more pedestrian, the Luikse waffle is in the running for my favorite food from anywhere I have travelled. These waffles are generally made in street stands or in small shop windows and the vendor will put one on the iron as you walk up. They come off the iron with a warm inside, and a crispy, semi-caramelized sugar outer crust. They are often half-dipped in chocolate (fantastic), but they are amazing plain as well. Wrapped in a napkin, these waffles are excellent walking companions.

The main difference between the Luikse waffles and the Brussels waffles are that Luikse waffles are denser, sweeter, and they are made with lumps of sugar mixed in the dough. These sugar lumps are actually pearlized sugar and can be bought here in the States, although recreating the Luikse waffle recipe State-side is incredibly difficult because of the differences in the properties of the ingredients (such as flour and sugar). With that said, the recipe from is the best replication that I have seen.

Luikse waffles can also be bought prepackaged at almost any store, gas station, or train station in Belgium. These are good, but are more like a dense cookie than the sugary greatness that can be bought from a street stand. Packaged Luikse waffles are also increasingly available in the states at specialty stores (such as Sahara Mart in Bloomington, IN).

So the next time you find yourself in Belgium, pay attention to the smells you are receiving from the street stands, and give in to the urge. Enjoy that Luikse waffle while you’re walking the streets, and know that you’re already one step ahead of the tourist group with matching hats trying to eat Brussels waffles with a fork while snapping photos of every cobblestoned street!