Waterzooi

After waffles, the next most famous Belgian food is Waterzooi, a classic Flemish stew. Its name is Dutch, meaning “watery mess.” I’m not making this up. It is sometimes called Gentse Waterzooi (in Dutch), which refers to Ghent, a major city in Belgium.

The original form was based on fish, though today chicken waterzooi (kippenwaterzooi) is more common. The most accepted explanation for this is that rivers of Ghent became too polluted, and the fish there disappeared. The stew is made of fish or chicken, vegetables (including carrots, leeks and potatoes), herbs, eggs, cream and butter. It is invariably delicious, cheap and filling.

Both the chicken and fish versions are based on a vegetable broth thickened with egg yolk and cream, usually served as a soup with bread to sop up the liquid.

Bangers and Mash

A staple of pub fare, bangers and mash is a dish of sausages served atop mashed potatoes with a brown onion gravy. A classic accompaniment (veggie on the side) is buttered peas. Flavorful, satifying and cheap -- a winning combination. You'll find this served in pubs all over England, Scotland and Ireland.

Note: Not all pubs accept credit cards, so be sure to ask, if this is important to you. For first timers, also note that in pubs you will be expected to pay for food as you order it, though most pubs will allow you to run a tab for alcohol.