When we booked our Viking Tulips & Windmills cruise, I was excited about seeing the colorful Dutch landscapes and historic cities. Little did I know that one of the highlights would be a food tour called “Delicious Antwerp” that perfectly captured the essence of traditional Belgium food culture. Beer, fries, chocolate, and waffles! Pretty much all the comfort food we could eat in a day.
Sampling Belgian Beer Culture
Our delicious adventure began at a cozy local pub where we were introduced to three distinct Belgian beers. Our guide explained that Belgium produces over 1,500 different beers and each one deserves its own special glass, showing us a few examples of each.
First up in our beer tasting was Bolleke De Koninck, Antwerp’s hometown beer. It’s a lovely amber-colored brew with a slightly sweet, malty flavor and a smooth finish. Next came Rodenbach, a fascinating Flemish red-brown beer with a unique sweet-sour profile created through its special aging process in oak barrels. Finally, we sampled La Chouffe, a golden blonde ale with a delightful hint of citrus and coriander, famously brewed with a touch of whimsy (its label features a cheerful gnome!).
With our beers came a quintessential Belgium food staple: crispy golden fries with mayonnaise. Our guide shared a fun bit of food history with us. While there’s a popular story about villagers in the Meuse region frying potatoes in the 1600s when they couldn’t fish, the more likely origin of the term “French fries” comes from American soldiers during World War I. They called them “French” fries because the Belgian soldiers who introduced them to the dish spoke French.
No matter where the name came from, the Belgians’ devotion to their fries is serious business. They even have a national museum dedicated to them called the Frietmuseum! And unlike us Americans who reach for ketchup, Belgians traditionally serve their fries with mayonnaise. Let me tell you, creamy mayo is the perfect complement to those salty golden fries.
Sweet Belgium Food Traditions: Chocolates and Hand Cookies
After our beer and fries, we made our way to a small artisanal chocolatier. While waiting our turn to enter the tiny shop, our guide passed around traditional Belgian shortbread cookies called “Antwerpse handjes” or “Antwerp hands.” These buttery, delicate cookies shaped like hands pay homage to a local legend about a giant named Antigoon who would cut off the hands of sailors who refused to pay a toll to cross the Scheldt River. A hero named Brabo defeated the giant, cut off his hand, and threw it into the river. It was an act that supposedly gave Antwerp its name (from Dutch “hand werpen” meaning “to throw a hand”).
When our turn came to enter the chocolate shop, the rich aroma of cocoa enveloped us immediately. The chocolatier explained that Belgian pralines (what we Americans often call truffles) were invented in Belgium in 1912 and differ from French pralines by having a hard chocolate shell with soft filling. I selected two beautiful pieces: a milk chocolate with strawberry ganache filling, and a dark chocolate shell housing a divine coffee-hazelnut filling that balanced bitter and sweet notes perfectly. One bite and I understood why Belgium food is world-famous for its chocolate craftsmanship. Seriously, I was in chocolate heaven!
Iconic Belgium Food Finale: Waffles and Liqueur
Our next destination was a restaurant specializing in waffles, perhaps the most internationally recognized Belgium food item. Here, we learned the important distinction between Belgian waffles and Liège waffles. The Belgian waffle (what Americans typically call “Belgian”) is rectangular with deep pockets, light and airy inside with a crispy exterior. The Liège waffle, on the other hand, is denser, sweeter, and contains pearl sugar that caramelizes during cooking.
We were each served a perfectly golden Belgian waffle topped with powdered sugar and a side fresh whipped cream and a cup of coffee. Oh my goodness, this waffle was absolute perfection! Crispy on the outside while remaining delicately tender inside. Want to know a secret? Our guide revealed with a playful wink that the magic ingredient was sparkling water in the batter. That’s what creates those delightful air pockets that make Belgian waffles so irresistible!
To conclude our tour of Belgium food and drink, we toasted with small glasses of Elixir d’Anvers, a Belgian herbal liqueur dating back to 1863. Made from 32 plants and herbs, this golden liqueur offered a complex, slightly sweet flavor with botanical notes. It was the perfect digestif to cap off our indulgent tour. I’m not typically a liqueur person, but this was surprisingly delightful!
With full bellies and newfound knowledge of Belgium food traditions, we were given some free time to explore the beautiful streets of Antwerp on our own. As I wandered through the city afterward, I couldn’t stop smiling. This tour had been so much more than just a series of tastings. It was a journey through Belgian history and culture, all told through its delicious food and drink. And boy, was I full! But the kind of full that makes you happy, you know?
If you’re planning a Viking River Cruise that stops in Antwerp, I can’t recommend the “Delicious Antwerp” excursion highly enough. It truly represents what river cruising is all about – immersing yourself in local culture through authentic Belgium food experiences you’ll remember long after your journey ends.
This post is part of our Active Voyager series chronicling our experiences on the Viking Tulips & Windmills cruise.
