This week was autumn vacation for many in Brussels, for others work as usual. The past summer was luckily lingering around the capital with temperatures up towards the 20’s. This was amazing for early November where the temperature this time of year usually is in the single digits around 5-10 degrees. Some good comes out of the global warming after all.
Brussels weather
Something else hit Brussels with a brutal force last Thursday. The supermarket Colruyt had long queues of people waiting to get in, mostly men with something desperate in their eyes. They had a strange coupon as well in their hand.
Unfortunately I was out travelling that day but convinced my dear wife to make an extra effort. First chasing the elusive coupon around Brussels, it could only be found in special magazines. Finally she managed to get hold of one. Next day she was one of the first in line outside the closest store. The doors open and then there was a fast run to the bottle area but nothing was found that could be connected to the coupon. Suddenly a shout was heard from the cashier register and there it was properly piled up on a pallet;
Westvleteren special deal
Yes, for the first time in history the number one beer in the world Trappist Westvleteren 12 was sold in a limited offer of a box with 6 bottles and 2 degustation glasses for only 25 EUR. In total 93, 000 boxes were quickly sold out in a couple of hours. The revenue of this exclusive offer goes totally to the rebuilding of the trappist abbey in Westvleteren.
Westvleteren XII
I got one! I will save it for a rainy day…..
I can’t avoid noticing all the baguettes that people here usually chew on for lunch. It has been mentioned before in my blog but I decided to look into it a bit deeper. Baguette, the hard crusty loaf we currently associate with France dates only to the Industrial Revolution. Some historian even state that the baguette is not French at all …it was invented by the bakers of Vienna. Steam/Deck ovens, made possible by scientific advancement, are key in the manufacture of this particular bread. Deck ovens use steam injection, through various methods, to create the proper baguette. The oven is typically well over 205 °C (400 °F). The steam allows the crust to expand before setting, thus creating a lighter, more airy loaf. It also melts the dextrose on the bread’s surface, giving a slightly glazed effect. A standard baguette has a diameter of about 5 or 6 cm (2 or 2⅓ in) and a usual length of about 65 cm (24 in), although a baguette can be up to a metre (39 in) long. The “baguette de tradition française” is made from wheat flour, water, yeast, and common salt.
I also found a funny story stating that the baguette was said to have been invented during Napoleon’s Russian campaign when he ordered a new shape of bread that could be carried down his troops’ trouser legs! Anyway it is the most popular lunch snack here in Brussels and of course sometimes with some frites on the side. There are small shops in every corner selling the bread with the different spreads.
Westmalle Triple
The beer this week is not the above mentioned but another Trappist and a triple Westmalle 9,5%. Like many triple it is a complex beer with a fruity aroma and a scent of hop. There is a slight bitterness with a long aftertaste and quite pleasant to drink.
The Westmalle Tripel is called the “mother of all tripels”. This type of beer was first brewed in Westmalle abbey in 1934 when the new brewing hall came into use. The current formula has stayed practically unchanged since 1956, thus more than 50 years.
Coming weeks:
- EU continued
- In search for the best beer (an on-going quest for the perfect pint)
- More seafood
- Cheese
- Parks
- Culture, Comics
- Markets
- Politics
Facts of the week;
Drink; Trappist Westmalle Triple 9,5%
