Culture in Belgium

Blog Post 2

April 13th, 2015

Garrett McClellan

Belgium is a notoriously Roman Catholic country so they celebrate many of the same holidays we would here in America. The bigger holidays all correspond with events in the church such as Easter and Christmas. During Christmas, many Belgians would eat something that is called the kings cake.(left) This is a soft danish often with cinnamon inside and icing on top. What's special about this cake is that it has a small toy figure at the bottom or in the middle of the cake somewhere, often being a baby Jesus. In Belgium, getting the piece of the cake often has some privileges and some obligations, the person who receives the piece with the figure inside will be blessed with good luck in the coming year but will also have to provide the cake for the next time it is consumed. This tradition has traveled all the way to places as far away as New Orleans. They use the cake in many of the same ways but usually choose to consume it during Mardi Gras. Another dish native to Belgium is Flamiche. (right) This dish is said to have been first made when a bakers wife dropped a dozen eggs on an icy patch and a quick thinking baker added cheese and butter and baked the lot and came up with Flamiche. this is also a food of sport because much like how we have hot dog eating competitions here in America, Belgians have Flamiche eating competitions in Belgium where the aim is to eat the food as fast as you can.