When I travel I'm on a see-food diet. I see food and I eat it. I'm flexitarean.
Brussels, capital of Europe, according to local tour guides is known for its chocolate, double fried-frites (don't you dare call them "French" fries), beer and Belgian waffles. In 36 hours I've sampled them all. Essentially, I've become a starch-etarian. Good thing we have been walking all day long, fuelled by our carb heavy diet, eaten no later than 5 PM local time.
On a walking tour earlier in the day, our tour guide had boasted that at Fritland the potatoes were fresh cut daily, never frozen, and double fried not in vegetable oil, but in animal fat. I had just finished reading an article on how acrylamide - formed by high heat frying, grilling, toasting, roasting and baking - was linked to cancer. Yet, when in Brussels...had to try the fries. In my mind, I justified consumption with the following thought, "Well-then, animal fats are more saturated, hence less easily damaged by heat, oxygen and light. In fact, in my homeland we used to preserve our food without refrigeration in lard."My husband and I split a serving while chatting to two professors from Maryland, USA. One of them was vegetarian.
Also had to try the beer, even though I am not a beer drinker. The tour guide told us about lambic beers. Unlike most beers, which are fermented with brewer's yeast, lambic beer is naturally fermented by wild yeast and bacteria native to the Zenne valley, which lies beneath Brussels alleyways. I hear "naturally fermented"and I think "What a great way to inoculate myself with natural bacteria and yeast - probiotics". Yay!!! No better way to adapt to the local environment - improve digestion.
Interestingly many of the menus feature "slow food, seasonally driven, organic ingredients from Belgian farmers". A local pizza restaurant highlights on their menu: "Our flour, tomatoes, mozzarella and olive oil are also organic, so all you taste is what you're meant to taste, no funny business." They even serve "organic and/or biodynamic wines".
I like it here. Can hardly wait to see Bruges and tour Scandinavia.
Originally posted July 7th, 2017
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