L'alimentation

Ok here's a new installment of my observations. This time: Food!

1. Spices: They don't use any! Ok so this may be an exaggeration but seriously, I am craving something spicy and it's just not here.

2. Milk: The milk is not real milk. Or it's a special kind of milk. They don't keep it refrigerated in the grocery store (oh by the way, we have a Delhaize, which is basically a Food Lion). It just sits in an aisle in huge packages that you have to tear open to get milk or you're buying 12 bottles at one time. It is however refrigerated once it's home. Also, the expiration date is always months away. It's definitely not the same milk we have at home.

3. Lunch: Everyone seems to eat lunch on the go. They have about 10 sandwich and pasta windows around Louvain-la-Neuve that always have long lines at lunchtime because everyone grabs a sandwich or pasta and either wanders around or sits down somewhere outside (the weather is now amazing here! I've broken out the flip-flops and sent my big coat home).

4. Common foods: Speaking of sandwiches and pasta, Belgians eat both of these so often! You could never do low-carb here. I probably won't eat either of these for months after I return. I am so sick of them. They also seriously eat a lot of waffles here. LLN also has a waffle stand where I seriously have had the best waffle of my life. It's amazing. And so so tempting. There are two kinds of waffles here:
Gaufre de Bruxelles - waffle with powdered sugar or whipped cream
Gaufre de Liège - waffle with caramelized sugar (my favorite!)

5. Coffee: The coffee here is much stronger and much smaller compared to the States. The largest coffee I can get here is only two ounces bigger than a small at Java City. Luckily, since the coffee is so much stronger, you don't need nearly as much to wake you up. I was hoping to nix my coffee addiction when I came over here but no such luck. However, I have cut back and don't drink it everyday (having to actually pay for it makes me much less likely to drink it).

6. Woké: Ok so this is less of an observation and more of an obsession. Woké is a Chinese restaurant here. You put your order in on a computer and put whatever you want into your wok. It is seriously amazing and we are all obsessed. It's way too expensive for me to be eating there as much as I do but I cannot help myself. I don't even usually like Chinese food! I never eat it back in the States but if they opened a Woké in Clemson, I would visit quite often. It's probably a good thing.

So there are my food observations. Note: beer goes with anything, apparently.

Also note: While this has nothing to do with food, it is a cultural observation that I feel is quite different from the United States - Yesterday, they were handing out free "student packs" that included condoms and beer. I have a feeling I wouldn't be receiving one of these at Clemson.