Part 8-1 WESTERN EUROPEANS -
A look at the evolution of food in southwestern Pennsylvania
– Western Europeans
BELGIUM,
LUXEMBOURG AND FRANCE
I have included
these three countries together because they have similar cuisines, proximity
and confusions in immigration records.
Early immigration records weren’t very accurate. There are no records of immigrants from
Luxembourg because they were lumped in with the French and Belgians. The French (who were the first to immigrate) records
were tarnished with people who had moved to France from Germany & other
countries due to wars and weren’t really French. The Belgian-American population is the
greatest of the 3 in western PA at 1-4%.
Languages of Belgium are Flemish and Walloon
which influence their cuisines. Cuisine
of Belgium: Belgian cuisine is
very hearty and often accompanied by beer (2nd beer producers in
Europe). They are famous for their
breads and Belgian waffles (of course). Flemish cuisine (Germanic) features
sweet-salt and sweet-sour mixtures (sauerkraut and pickles). Nutmeg is a
favored spice. Walloon cuisine is based on French cuisine. Garlic is a favored
seasoning.
A Belgian-American
family meal includes thick vegetable soups, meats and vegetables such as: Boulettes
(meatballs), Djote, or "jut" (cooked cabbage and potatoes
seasoned with browned butter and nutmeg), Potasse (made of potatoes, red
cabbage and side pork) and Cheeses: Kaset (spreadable homemade cottage cheese
cured in crocks) is used like butter. Desserts are Belgian pie (open-faced tart
filled with custard or cottage cheese topped with layers of prunes or apples)
and the Belgian waffle (Gället), has been Americanized.
Flemish
(German) foods include Flemish Stew (beef cooked with beer), and Olie Bollen (raised
doughnut made with apples, and Advocaat, a liqueur made of grain
alcohol, vanilla, eggs, milk, and sugar).
Walloon (French) cuisine is more meat-based than the Flemish cuisine. Desserts
include cougnou (sweet Christmas bread) and Liege waffles (the Belgian waffles
we know).
Languages of
Luxembourg are French and German. Cuisine of Luxembourg: Traipen or Moustraipen is a sausage
consisting of hog's head, pork blood, cabbage, and spices. It is similar to (German)
Blood
pudding which is often
served after midnight mass on Christmas Day. Thuringer (spicy German bratwurst),
Gromperekichelcher (spiced deep-fried potato pancake with chopped onions and
parsley), Tiirteg (potato pancake with sauerkraut) and Pate (French) are
popular foods. Recently, the cuisine has been influenced by its Italian and Portuguese neighbors.
Main
language of France is French. Cuisine of France: The French are also famous for their breads: the baguette, ficelle, flute and pain de
campagne (sourdough bread). The French delight
in their differences in provincial cuisines. For example, in Alsace-Lorraine (near Germany)
foods are Germanic such as sausages and sauerkrauts. Moules a la Crème from Normandy (near the
ocean) are mussels cooked with white wine, cider, garlic and cream. Brittany (surrounded by water) dishes are seafood,
cider, crepes and flan. In the Burgundy (wine
area) area you will find Boeuf Bourguignon (beef stewed in red wine), Coq Au
Vin (chicken with wine) and Escargots de Bourgogne (snails baked in shells with parsley butter). Rhones-Alpes brought us raclette (melted
cheese served with potatoes, ham and mini pickles), fondues and gratins (browned melted cheese and or bread
crumb dishes).
PHOTOS AND LINKS FOR BELGIUM
Wiki on Belgian Cuisine:
Wiki on Belgian Recipes
PHOTOS AND LINKS FOR LUXEMBOURG
Luxembourg food photos
WIKI ON Luxembourg
French Food Photos
WIKI ON France:
