Travelers wishing to try something truly exotic and unavailable outside Brussels can always head to one of local restaurants and order paling in’t groen. This is the local name of eel stew that is served together with a peculiar green sauce. The history of this dish is very interesting. Several hundred years ago, local people were catching eels in the Scheldt River. After that, they collected various herbs that grew near the river’s bank, such as mint, spinach, parsley, sorrel, and lettuce. They used all these greens to make a special sauce that remains the main secret of the ever popular dish.
Gourmets in love with meat dishes will genuinely enjoy the signature Flemish carbonade, stoverij. It is cooked in dark beer and served with a no less amazing garnish, stoemp. The latter contains mashed potatoes together with various vegetables and herbs. Tourists in Brussels also like small crunchy buns that local call “pistols”. These buns can come with a variety of fillings including cheese, sausages, and ham. Small sea snails are one more popular street food that is loved by both locals and tourists.
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