Belgian cuisine is the national cooking of Belgium, shaped by both French and Dutch/Flemish culinary traditions and built on simple, high-quality local ingredients. Signature dishes include moules-frites (mussels and fries), carbonade flamande (beef stewed in beer), waterzooi (a creamy chicken or fish stew), and vol-au-vent (puff-pastry shells filled with meat or seafood).
Beer is used as a cooking ingredient as well as a pairing, and Belgium is equally known for its chocolate, waffles, and buttery speculoos cookies. Regional differences persist: Wallonia's cooking leans on game and cream sauces, while Flemish cooking draws more on North Sea seafood.