Benelux cuisine is a food scene unseen
The Benelux region's cuisine is rarely celebrated, but Giovanna Dunmall finds it rich and rewarding with some surprising twists
Tell someone you are going on a trip to sample the food specialities of Benelux and you will most likely get a series of blank expressions (and not only because many people don't know Benelux means Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg).
This reaction is understandable. At best, the area's cuisine is an extension of French cooking, at worst it is dull and uninspiring (I am looking at you, Netherlands, land of mashed potato and stews).
Of course, this sweeping statement doesn't take into account these countries' much-loved specialities, their so-called ethnic restaurant scenes (often a result of immigration from former colonies), and the thriving community of chefs doing brilliant contemporary variations on local dishes, ingredients and flavours.
Perhaps it is fairer to say food isn't the first thing that springs to mind when thinking of Benelux but if you visit you may be surprised by what you find.
Here are a few highlights, in no particular order, of a recent train journey I took across this small trio of nations and, more specifically, my brief stops at three cities - Antwerp, The Hague and Luxembourg.
The northern Belgian city of Antwerp has always been good at promoting itself, and with good reason. It has architecture, art, diamonds, chocolate and more recently fashion.