Some of the most famous things from Belgium are food and drink, which in itself tells you something about the culture.
Coffee is bitter and strong! It's usually drunk with a bit of creamy milk and lots of sugar. When I ordered cappuccino, it merely had a bit of dark froth on top - underneath it was still almost black. Coffee is served in a wide, low, straight-sided cup. Tea is drunk with lemon and more sugar.
Belgian beer is justly famous. Each beer has its own special style of glass in which it is always served. If a barman had run out of the appropriate glass, he would be extremely apologetic, or perhaps refuse to serve the beer at all. More than 300 types are commonly available.
For a real understanding of what the Belgians consider important, the beers can and should be discussed at length, but here is just a brief introduction. The Trappist breweries (Orval, Chimay, Westmalle, Westvleteren and Rochefort, plus a new-comer, Achel) produce beers which are strong with a characteristic, fruity taste. Like many other Belgian beers, they are bottle-matured.
Abbey beers are strong ales in a similar vein to some of the famous Trappist brews, but not made in monasteries. They include Leffe, Grimbergen, Affligem and Maredsous.
White beer such as Hoegaarden Wit is made from a mix of wheat and barley. Sour beers include "old brown" and "red" beers. Brown beers are different again. Then there are amber ales such as De Koninck and golden ales such as Duvel. Pils beers include Jupiler, Stella Artois, Maes and Cristal-Alken.
Lambic beer has a significant wheat content and is not fermented by the use of yeast. Instead it is exposed to the air around Brussels for several years and unique local microscopic organisms cause fermentation. Rather than being drunk as it is, the resulting Lambic is usually made into other beers such as Gueuze, Faro and Fruit Lambic.
Certain foods are also famous internationally - mussels, "frieten met mayonaise" (chips with mayonnaise) and chocolates, so they don't need explanation. Waffles are well known too. The main kinds are Brussels waffles, lighter, usually served with icing sugar or other toppings, and Liège waffles, which contain little lumps of crystallised sugar, served plain.
"Witloof", with a taste a bit like fennel, I think is properly called endive in English. It's a common vegetable grown in the market gardens here. I remember it wrapped in ham and covered with a cheese sauce - I thought it was one of the most unpleasant dishes that I've been presented with, but it's traditional, so I suppose people like it.
Breakfast is bread or rolls with salami, cheese and sweet spreads. "Stroop" has the colour and consistency of Marmite, and you would spread it just as sparingly, but it tastes like pure sugar with a hint of apple flavouring. A Nutella-like spread is also common - milk or white chocolate. Plus coffee of course!
The main cooked meal of the day is rather like a very traditional English meal - meat with potatoes and vegetables. Fruit such as peaches may also be served like a vegetable. Coffee is usually served alongside the main course and bread often is too. Potatoes are the staple of staples - I ate them so often in Belgium that I've scarcely touched them since. Sandwiches are traditionally eaten for the third meal of the day - did the Earl come on a visit? A sharp, steak-type knife is often laid in addition to the normal knife.
Finally, peas and carrots are sold in jars instead of tins.