Explore Guides
Local food map
Bruges (Belgium)
Hotels in area
Main course
Meat
Food Flavour DNA
Nutritional Values
620kcal
42gProtein
25gCarbs
40gFat
2gFibre
350 gServing
* Per serving · 350 g. May vary.
Allergens
🌾 Gluten
Carbonade Flamande
How to order / say it
Say it
Carbonade à la Flamande — [kar-boh-NAHD ah lah flah-MAHND]
Order
I'd like the Carbonade Flamande, please.
Locally
Ik wil graag de Carbonade à la Flamande, alstublieft.
Say locally
A sweet-sour Belgian beef stew made with onions and ale.
Why try it?
This dish illustrates the Flemish culinary art of balancing flavors, showcasing local beer craftsmanship and home-style cooking.
How it tastes
Deeply savory with a hint of sweetness, the beef is tender and the sauce thick, often accompanied by fluffy mashed potatoes.
Origin & History — first documented: 1300
Dating back to the Middle Ages in Flanders, this stew was a peasant dish designed to make the most out of minimal ingredients, gaining iconic status over centuries.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 🥩 500 g beef
- 🍷 300 ml dark ale
- 🧄 200 g onions
- 🥣 50 ml vinegar
- 🍯 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 🌿 1 tsp thyme
- 🥛 50 g butter
Method
- 1 Brown the beef in butter, then set aside.
- 2 Cook onions in the same pan until caramelized.
- 3 Return beef, adding ale, vinegar, and sugar.
- 4 Simmer with thyme until meat is tender.
More from Flanders
© Wikimedia Commons
Side dish
Vegetarian
Brussels Sprouts
Choux de Bruxelles
SHOO duh broo-SELL
These small cabbage-like vegetables are often roasted till crispy.
🥩
Main course
Meat
Ghent-style Rabbit
Gentse Konijn
GHENT-suh KO-nayn
A rich, savory rabbit dish commonly cooked with prunes.
🌿
Dessert
Vegetarian
Appelbol
AH-pel-bol
A pastry-encased baked apple, often filled with sugar and raisins.
Main course
Meat
Gentse Stoverij
GENT-suh STOH-vuh-ree
A Flemish beef stew slow-cooked in dark beer.
🌿
Bread
Vegetarian
Mastel
Mastellen
MAH-ste-lun
A sweet circular bread spiced with cinnamon, typical of Ghent.
🥩
Snack
Meat
Gentse Kop
Kopvlees
HENTS-uh KOP
A head cheese made from various parts of pork jelly.
🥩
Main course
Meat
Rabbit with Prunes
Konijn met Pruimen
koh-NAYN met PROW-men
A slow-cooked rabbit stew with a sweet prune sauce.
© Wikimedia Commons
Dessert
Vegetarian
Brussels Waffle
Gaufre de Bruxelles
goh-freh duh broo-sells
Light and crispy waffles dusted with powdered sugar, often topped with fruits.
© Wikimedia Commons
Dessert
Vegetarian
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolademousse
SHO-coh-LAH-deh-moos
A rich, airy dessert made from Belgian chocolate.
© Wikimedia Commons
Starter
Meat
Beef Tartare
Filet Américain
fee-leh ah-meh-ree-kehn
Raw minced beef served with condiments.