Discover why Belgian cuisine is the best-kept culinary secret in Europe. Belgian food and drink, often overshadowed by the those of neighbours France and Germany, receive much deserved attention in this thorough overview, the most comprehensive available in English. Belgian waffles, chocolate, and beer are renowned, but "Food Culture in Belgium" opens up the entire food culture spectrum and reveals Belgian food habits today and yesterday. Readers can learn about the question of "Belgianness" in discussions of the food of distinct regions of Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels. Packed with daily life insight, consumption statistics, and trends gathered from the culinary community on the Web, this is the ultimate source for discovering what has been called the best-kept culinary secret in Europe.The author thoroughly covers the essential information in the topical chapters on history, major foods and ingredients, cooking, typical meals, special occasions, eating out, and diet and health. He illuminates how Belgium's unique food culture has developed through time. Before independence in 1830, Belgian regions had been part of the Celtic, Roman, Spanish, Austrian, French, Dutch, and German empires, and Belgium's central location has meant that it has long been a trade centre for food products. Today, Brussels is the European Union administrative centre and a cosmopolitan dining destination. Readers learn about the ingredients, techniques, and dishes that Belgium gave to the world, such as pommes frites, endive, and beer dishes. A timeline, glossary, selected bibliography, resource guide with websites and films, recipes, and photos complement the essays.