I'm from the Netherlands and I'm sorry, what you were saying about the eggs is really weird. My family owns a farm, when a chicken lays an egg, you should never wash them or refrigerate them! The moment you wash them, they will spoil very fast because you break the invisible film around the egg that protects it from spoiling, causing oxygen and other bacteria to creep in, washing the eggs is actually much more dangerous. Unwashed and unrefrigerated eggs can stay fresh for many weeks, even months. Just store them in a dark and cool room.
@@LightfootLife I don't know why they do this in USA, but it's wrong. The eggs are naturally protected from the elements by an invisible film, you can look it up. This invisible film will dissappear if you wash them, making it vulnerable to the weather and elements. If you want to wash them, just wash them right before you use them. Usually I don't even wash them unless there's feathers and stuff on them, then i will quickly rinse them under some running water before using them
@@LightfootLife also, milk doesn't need to be refrigerated in the store, the package or bottle that the milk is in, is closed. Only once you open the carton of milk, then you have to refrigerate it. If I buy 2 bottles of milk from the store and I get back home, I always put one bottle in a storage room and the other one I put in my fridge. And I do that because sometimes I do need cold milk for when I'm cooking. For example when I'm making a béchamel sauce, I prefer using cold milk as it works better to avoid my sauce to create lumps when mixing it with the flour and butter. Cold milk won't make it go lumpy. But otherwise, as long as your bottle of milk is not in a hot tropical climate with the sun beaming on it😅 you don't need to refrigerate it! Unless you open it tho, once it's opened, you have to refrigerate it
Fresh eggs leave as that!(never! in the fridge) Hard boiled eggs you put in the fridge always!(good for max 7 days. :)Eggs in the US are treated with chemicals that are FORBIDDEN! in the EU! same as chicken(US has chlorinated chicken what is also FORBIDDEN in the EU) ))))
Eggs have to be refrigerated in the U.S. because they are washed, which removes their natural protective coating. In Europe we sell them intact with the coating. As for the milk, most of it is pasteurized, that's why it does not need to be kept in the fridge - of course, after opening the bottle, keep it refrigerated.
Aww such a shame you’re leaving soon but I’m glad you liked living in Belgium! I’m a brit who has just moved to Belgium, having previously lived in the Netherlands, so I am enjoying your content. Have a blast for the rest of your time here and def visit the UK one day if you haven’t already! 😊
I know we are sad to go but excited for what the future holds! Belgium has been such an amazing experience for us that we will never forget. We would LOVE to visit the UK! It is on our bucket list! ❤
As Belgian, I am really glad you guys enjoy my homeland. It's also funny when you speaking about "culture shocks", it's always so funny seeing others being "shock" with things who are normal for me 😆. I wish one day I will visit United States ^^. Stay safe you two, have a nice Sunday 🙂
About the timing in restaurants: it does generally slower that's absolutely true but it really depends on the context. If you're a big group eating in a brasserie or a fancy restaurant, it can absolutely take 4 hours. But if you eat in a teras in the city you will be out in an hour. And fast foods are stil just as fast. If you go to McDonald's or domino's it will be just as quick as in the US. Or if you go to a local frietkot, you'll get it when it's ready after a few minutes and you pay immediately.
Eggs are porous, so if you wash them with soap, you eat the soap. You don't have schools in the USA? The bikes are not for all of Belgium, but only Flanders and Brussels. In Wallonia (60% of the country and 40% of the population) bicycles are rare. Gent and Brugge are in Flanders... So you haven't visited most of Belgium...
About the eggs, there is a better way : Washing the eggs removes the protective wax film on them, makes them porous and lets the bacteria and other bad things in. This is also why the us refrigerates their eggs. One way requires water to wash and energy to refrigerate so more waste and more energy wasted. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it here ;-)
I definitely found it more convenient to keep the unwashed eggs on the counter! It gave us more space in the fridge and helped remind me to use them lol!
Don’t forget the speed train to Paris. Bummed Mitch couldn’t join for that one but how cool that you are so close to so many amazing places. Can’t wait to have you home 💋
About food in the restaurants, well we have a very strict control of food . So the food MUST be fresh or your restaurant can easily be closed by the "food police"; SO fresh ingredients are slowlier prepared. This is a health safety point, think of it like that !
We understand the lyrics, I've been talking English since I was a kid and I understood them back then too. We just don't care. The only thing I know that is being censored at times is real bad hate speech.
@@LightfootLife Hi there i am from bruges belgium. The reason they call them french fries is becuz in ww1 americans came to belgium and back then most pol spoke French here. So they actualy thought that they where in France. And the history off the frie dates back further. When poor people who lived near canals ate alot off fish. But in the winter those lakes where frozen over so no fish. But they had potatoes. They would cut them into fish shapes and frei them just like tose fish and along the way the freis like we know them where born. I dont know fully if this is the truth but that what i know about it in a nutshel.
The eggs have protection by nature. If you wash them yo remove that protection. Tipping can be seen as an insult. It can give a feeling of "I am better than you". I hated it when I worked in the service industry. Do you think I am poor? Eating out in Europe is a social thing. You are there to enjoy the company, not because you are hungry. And sitting there and having an extra glass of wine is money for them as well. Even when I go for a pizza with friends, it will take 2-3 hours.
Were in europe is it an insult? I am very curious as worked in a few countries and never known it to be. Only in japan have i known it to be an insult. When ive worked and lived in Belgium i have always known tips to be welcomed. Dosnt have to be a huge amount a few euro left on table can make day. At end of day many of the wait staff dont own the place so ordering a glass of wine wouldn't be money in my pocket for example.
So many people have already commented on the eggs that you already know. Tipping: if you want to be nice, round up to either the nearest euro, or nearest five euros. If the server is VERY nice, round up to the nearest 10 euro. Trash: my bag always looks really small because I flatten everything that can be flattened. Reason: those bags are expensive as there is a tax added to it for trash disposal. Flattening everything means I can use a smaller (cheaper) bag. In winter, as my big trash can is outside, I might use a bigger bag and only set it out for collection after two weeks. I also watch out for how the things I buy are packaged. If the packaging consists of paper or cardboard, it doesn’t go in the trash bag but goes into the paper recycling box. Over time it’s a habit to watch out for the type of packaging at the store. Another thing that saves space in your trash is food waste. I’m always surprised at how much food is being thrown out. Not only do I save a lot of money because we eat almost everything we buy and cook, but the volume in trash is vastly reduced. And I avoid paper towels and napkins as much as I can.
@@LightfootLife - More often than not it’s a simple matter of giving a snip in every corner to allow a packaging to ‘open up’. Plastic bottles and cans are easily flattened as well. Styrofoam meat containers get a snip in every corner as well. It often surprises me what a difference this makes.
Tipping is not an insult in Belgium; maybe you went to the wrong place. Actually there is NO faormal rule for tipping and that is why the tip is mostly not very important in Belgium. So if you gave a 20% tip for a dinner in Belgium, people were mostly surprised ( in a good way !) . No, you are not insulting people when you give such a big tip, just know it is not very common for us... a common tip is for instance you pay 23.45, well you give the rest of 25 as a tip. That is more how it works here
I am shocked and disgusted the comment were they said its a insult here. Yes they get a wage but its poor wage and its always appreciated. Especially delivery drivers. Tip tip tip don't be tight. A few euros can make a huge difference. We also have fresh milk that needs to stay in fridge. Its far less comon you just have to know were to look.
What shopkeepers appreciate most is when you mention "keep the change" so they don't have to mess with those little coins. There is a reason why amounts are now officially rounded up to 5 cent.
The delirium cafes are all over the world however did you visit the delirium brewery in Merelbeke? Sadly croquettes are not really a belgain thing. Cheese and shrimp ones sure. Others are definitely a special novelty food. Amazing like the croquet bar in Gent but not common.
We have not done the museum! Maybe we need to try and squeeze that in before we leave. We have definitely tried all the oysters, waffles, chocolate, and beers! 🍻
@@flitsertheo bijna niets in vergelijking met de franse "tour Mallet' bij voorbeeld, of de bergen van sommigebuiten landen... Laten we zegge ndat België is geen Nederland, ja , dat klopt !
Because of Covid many businesses invested in contactless ATMs and the amount you could spend without a code was increased. From time to time I still use the old contact method so I don't forget my code.
Eggs seem to be a hot topic. Now, imagine mixing a raw (!!!) egg into some raw (!!!) ground pork meat and eating this on a buttered crispy bread roll (pistolet) with some pickles. That's the classic gehakt/haché pistolet for you. And even worse, ground RAW beef mixed with mayonnaise made with raw (again!) eggs and eating it RAW! (Ironically it is called "Américain préparé" in French ánd Dutch) Germans do the raw porky thing too, it's called "mett fleisch", although they often mix tons of RAW oignons into it, witch is really, like, ... gross 🤣😂🤣
And about tipping.... Haha I've never tipped in my life, I'm not poor at all, it just makes no sense. I traveled to USA and I refused to tip there and they got so angry with me, like what?! The waiters in USA are always trying to be extra nice to you, I don't like that at all because it's very fake, just be real to me, don't be extra nice, because it's fake, I'm not going to tip you because you give me a fake smile, if you have a bad day, no need to put on a fake smile, I'm just there to order food... But yeah in Europe, no need for tipping, just pay what the bill says, you don't even have to leave them any change, like if the bill is 39.90 euro. Give them 40 euro and get your 10 cents back! 😂Don't tip
Normal that noting have the same flavour. There is bo chemical products in the food you so used to eat chemical food. I go every year to the usa and I get sick the first 2 days because the chemical stuf is your food 10 month in Belgium and you say French frees. Is not even French haha only foreign say that. We talk French to don’t mean the fries are French
Please don't tip in Europe, people in general don't like it. It's very condescending and can be seen as rude in some places. Don't bring this American scam over here
Why would we beep out certain words in songs ? Or in life or television... Ow no kids say fuck you... Ow noo kids say bad words then its peoples job as their parents to tell them off... U see Americans care so much about free speech but then every bad word gets beeped out ... OW the irony.
I'm from the Netherlands and I'm sorry, what you were saying about the eggs is really weird. My family owns a farm, when a chicken lays an egg, you should never wash them or refrigerate them! The moment you wash them, they will spoil very fast because you break the invisible film around the egg that protects it from spoiling, causing oxygen and other bacteria to creep in, washing the eggs is actually much more dangerous. Unwashed and unrefrigerated eggs can stay fresh for many weeks, even months. Just store them in a dark and cool room.
That is what was so interesting because in America eggs are washed before they get to the store!
@@LightfootLife I don't know why they do this in USA, but it's wrong. The eggs are naturally protected from the elements by an invisible film, you can look it up. This invisible film will dissappear if you wash them, making it vulnerable to the weather and elements. If you want to wash them, just wash them right before you use them. Usually I don't even wash them unless there's feathers and stuff on them, then i will quickly rinse them under some running water before using them
@@LightfootLife also, milk doesn't need to be refrigerated in the store, the package or bottle that the milk is in, is closed. Only once you open the carton of milk, then you have to refrigerate it. If I buy 2 bottles of milk from the store and I get back home, I always put one bottle in a storage room and the other one I put in my fridge. And I do that because sometimes I do need cold milk for when I'm cooking. For example when I'm making a béchamel sauce, I prefer using cold milk as it works better to avoid my sauce to create lumps when mixing it with the flour and butter. Cold milk won't make it go lumpy. But otherwise, as long as your bottle of milk is not in a hot tropical climate with the sun beaming on it😅 you don't need to refrigerate it! Unless you open it tho, once it's opened, you have to refrigerate it
That is why they will always be Americans who know nothing
@@LightfootLife This may be why you live on average 5 years less than a European.
How to get in trouble in Belgium : Ask for French Fries, pour your beer in the wrong glass. Thanks for enjoing my country.
Eggs are naturally protected. Refrigirating eggs can cause mold.
@@JohnnyDrizzle it was a hard adjustment but it makes sense!!
Fresh eggs leave as that!(never! in the fridge) Hard boiled eggs you put in the fridge always!(good for max 7 days. :)Eggs in the US are treated with chemicals that are FORBIDDEN! in the EU! same as chicken(US has chlorinated chicken what is also FORBIDDEN in the EU) ))))
@@db-ne9fy we loved the fresh eggs!!
Eggs have to be refrigerated in the U.S. because they are washed, which removes their natural protective coating. In Europe we sell them intact with the coating. As for the milk, most of it is pasteurized, that's why it does not need to be kept in the fridge - of course, after opening the bottle, keep it refrigerated.
Aww such a shame you’re leaving soon but I’m glad you liked living in Belgium! I’m a brit who has just moved to Belgium, having previously lived in the Netherlands, so I am enjoying your content. Have a blast for the rest of your time here and def visit the UK one day if you haven’t already! 😊
I know we are sad to go but excited for what the future holds! Belgium has been such an amazing experience for us that we will never forget. We would LOVE to visit the UK! It is on our bucket list! ❤
yep we take ore time too eat ,thats why we are Bourgondiers we love to eat drink and enjoy time with family
As Belgian, I am really glad you guys enjoy my homeland. It's also funny when you speaking about "culture shocks", it's always so funny seeing others being "shock" with things who are normal for me 😆.
I wish one day I will visit United States ^^.
Stay safe you two, have a nice Sunday 🙂
Thank you so much! We truly have loved our home away from home! You should definitely visit!!
About the timing in restaurants: it does generally slower that's absolutely true but it really depends on the context. If you're a big group eating in a brasserie or a fancy restaurant, it can absolutely take 4 hours. But if you eat in a teras in the city you will be out in an hour. And fast foods are stil just as fast. If you go to McDonald's or domino's it will be just as quick as in the US. Or if you go to a local frietkot, you'll get it when it's ready after a few minutes and you pay immediately.
@@Frahamen we noticed that too!
Eggs are porous, so if you wash them with soap, you eat the soap. You don't have schools in the USA?
The bikes are not for all of Belgium, but only Flanders and Brussels. In Wallonia (60% of the country and 40% of the population) bicycles are rare.
Gent and Brugge are in Flanders... So you haven't visited most of Belgium...
Thank you, fore the Nice words, about my country Belgium
@@fransweddingen603 we loved our time there!
Where to go : try Turn&Taxis as well
About the eggs, there is a better way : Washing the eggs removes the protective wax film on them, makes them porous and lets the bacteria and other bad things in. This is also why the us refrigerates their eggs.
One way requires water to wash and energy to refrigerate so more waste and more energy wasted.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it here ;-)
I definitely found it more convenient to keep the unwashed eggs on the counter! It gave us more space in the fridge and helped remind me to use them lol!
Don’t forget the speed train to Paris. Bummed Mitch couldn’t join for that one but how cool that you are so close to so many amazing places. Can’t wait to have you home 💋
I realized I had forgotten to mention that one!! One of the best!
About food in the restaurants, well we have a very strict control of food . So the food MUST be fresh or your restaurant can easily be closed by the "food police"; SO fresh ingredients are slowlier prepared. This is a health safety point, think of it like that !
We love the fresh food!
We understand the lyrics, I've been talking English since I was a kid and I understood them back then too. We just don't care. The only thing I know that is being censored at times is real bad hate speech.
"Belgian fries" NOT "French fries!!! Fries are inverted in Belgium not France!!!
@@ShadowESH my mistake!! Such a bad habit 😂😅
@@LightfootLife Hi there i am from bruges belgium.
The reason they call them french fries is becuz in ww1 americans came to belgium and back then most pol spoke French here.
So they actualy thought that they where in France.
And the history off the frie dates back further.
When poor people who lived near canals ate alot off fish.
But in the winter those lakes where frozen over so no fish.
But they had potatoes.
They would cut them into fish shapes and frei them just like tose fish and along the way the freis like we know them where born.
I dont know fully if this is the truth but that what i know about it in a nutshel.
Servers get paid a decent wage so tipping is not a thing here.
🙌🏻🙌🏻
@@LightfootLife but everybody I know tips a barber ...
The eggs have protection by nature. If you wash them yo remove that protection. Tipping can be seen as an insult. It can give a feeling of "I am better than you". I hated it when I worked in the service industry. Do you think I am poor? Eating out in Europe is a social thing. You are there to enjoy the company, not because you are hungry. And sitting there and having an extra glass of wine is money for them as well. Even when I go for a pizza with friends, it will take 2-3 hours.
That is exactly what we have learned from living here! 😃
Were in europe is it an insult? I am very curious as worked in a few countries and never known it to be. Only in japan have i known it to be an insult. When ive worked and lived in Belgium i have always known tips to be welcomed. Dosnt have to be a huge amount a few euro left on table can make day. At end of day many of the wait staff dont own the place so ordering a glass of wine wouldn't be money in my pocket for example.
In Belgium they even play the Lily Allen song 'Fuck You Very Much' on the radio.
🤣
oh a ton back then!
The irony is that it's mostly songs from the USA that contain "censorable" words.
@@flitsertheo Sounds right lol! 😂
@@flitsertheo It's on the US that censors its own songs.
So many people have already commented on the eggs that you already know.
Tipping: if you want to be nice, round up to either the nearest euro, or nearest five euros. If the server is VERY nice, round up to the nearest 10 euro.
Trash: my bag always looks really small because I flatten everything that can be flattened. Reason: those bags are expensive as there is a tax added to it for trash disposal. Flattening everything means I can use a smaller (cheaper) bag. In winter, as my big trash can is outside, I might use a bigger bag and only set it out for collection after two weeks. I also watch out for how the things I buy are packaged. If the packaging consists of paper or cardboard, it doesn’t go in the trash bag but goes into the paper recycling box. Over time it’s a habit to watch out for the type of packaging at the store.
Another thing that saves space in your trash is food waste. I’m always surprised at how much food is being thrown out. Not only do I save a lot of money because we eat almost everything we buy and cook, but the volume in trash is vastly reduced. And I avoid paper towels and napkins as much as I can.
@@eddavanleemputten9232 I never heard of flattening the trash, that would be so helpful!!
@@LightfootLife - More often than not it’s a simple matter of giving a snip in every corner to allow a packaging to ‘open up’. Plastic bottles and cans are easily flattened as well. Styrofoam meat containers get a snip in every corner as well. It often surprises me what a difference this makes.
Pasturized milk doesn't need a fridge. What is the use of censored music? You do know what they sing, censored or not.
@@jorisfauconnier1365 true! They just won’t play bad words on the radio in America!
Tipping is not an insult in Belgium; maybe you went to the wrong place. Actually there is NO faormal rule for tipping and that is why the tip is mostly not very important in Belgium. So if you gave a 20% tip for a dinner in Belgium, people were mostly surprised ( in a good way !) . No, you are not insulting people when you give such a big tip, just know it is not very common for us... a common tip is for instance you pay 23.45, well you give the rest of 25 as a tip. That is more how it works here
I am shocked and disgusted the comment were they said its a insult here. Yes they get a wage but its poor wage and its always appreciated. Especially delivery drivers. Tip tip tip don't be tight. A few euros can make a huge difference. We also have fresh milk that needs to stay in fridge. Its far less comon you just have to know were to look.
What shopkeepers appreciate most is when you mention "keep the change" so they don't have to mess with those little coins. There is a reason why amounts are now officially rounded up to 5 cent.
@@flitsertheo yeah was appently costing to much to keep making them and people were just keeping them in jars in their houses.
The delirium cafes are all over the world however did you visit the delirium brewery in Merelbeke? Sadly croquettes are not really a belgain thing. Cheese and shrimp ones sure. Others are definitely a special novelty food. Amazing like the croquet bar in Gent but not common.
We did not make it to the one in Merelbeke. Is it good?
@@LightfootLife not been but its the actual brewery not just a bar. They do tours etc. Tyoko and Rome both have bars to
Censored music just isn't a thing here, also not in Dutch btw. And yeah kids absolutely know English.
Your opinions: Leffe or Hoegarden? Oysters off the Grand Plas? Chocolate? Waffles? Have you checked out the Waterloo battlefied/museum?
We have not done the museum! Maybe we need to try and squeeze that in before we leave. We have definitely tried all the oysters, waffles, chocolate, and beers! 🍻
If you don't want finds, don't speed. It's that simple.
@@Frahamen truth!
Easier said than done in Belgium. Our police are masters in setting traps and ambushes with a whole fleet of anonymous camera cars at their disposal.
Brussels is pricy unlike the smaller towns to eat or buy stuff
We noticed this too!
It is easy to ride a bike in Belgium because we do not have really high mountains ( or hills) so Belgium is quite flat and so, bike friendly...
Very true!
De Muur van Geraardsbergen ? De Vlaamse Ardennen ? Liège - Bastogne - Liège ?
Tbf rhode as a whole is a bit hilly 😅
@@flitsertheo bijna niets in vergelijking met de franse "tour Mallet' bij voorbeeld, of de bergen van sommigebuiten landen... Laten we zegge ndat België is geen Nederland, ja , dat klopt !
Of course they don't take your card away. You often need to type a code for the payment to go through.
In the states it’s normal for them to take your card away so it was surprising to us!
Because of Covid many businesses invested in contactless ATMs and the amount you could spend without a code was increased. From time to time I still use the old contact method so I don't forget my code.
@@flitsertheo Good to know!!
Eggs seem to be a hot topic.
Now, imagine mixing a raw (!!!) egg into some raw (!!!) ground pork meat and eating this on a buttered crispy bread roll (pistolet) with some pickles. That's the classic gehakt/haché pistolet for you.
And even worse, ground RAW beef mixed with mayonnaise made with raw (again!) eggs and eating it RAW! (Ironically it is called "Américain préparé" in French ánd Dutch)
Germans do the raw porky thing too, it's called "mett fleisch", although they often mix tons of RAW oignons into it, witch is really, like, ... gross 🤣😂🤣
Wow!! It is so interesting how eggs vary from country to country!
Never heard of anyone beeping out music on the radio... O_o;
They censor all music on the radio in the US!
@@LightfootLife 😱
For trash, try to not buy packaged stuff. Fruit and vegetables don't need packaging.
Don't forget to try the 'Giant'-burger from Quick!
We didn’t try that but heard it was good!!
@@LightfootLife It's my favorite by far!
I’m Belgian: we do tip, just less and not everywhere I guess.
They are struggling to leave their tipping culture at home and adjust to how it differs in Europe.
And about tipping.... Haha I've never tipped in my life, I'm not poor at all, it just makes no sense. I traveled to USA and I refused to tip there and they got so angry with me, like what?! The waiters in USA are always trying to be extra nice to you, I don't like that at all because it's very fake, just be real to me, don't be extra nice, because it's fake, I'm not going to tip you because you give me a fake smile, if you have a bad day, no need to put on a fake smile, I'm just there to order food... But yeah in Europe, no need for tipping, just pay what the bill says, you don't even have to leave them any change, like if the bill is 39.90 euro. Give them 40 euro and get your 10 cents back! 😂Don't tip
It's not required in the US, but it definitely is expected!
Not tipping in the US is a form of bad manners ... It's not only an economical thing, it's a bit of culture too . Perhaps try to adapt a bit ...
I was shocked by the behaviour of us citizens everywhere in USA. No education at all
Alright well!!!
scrubing eggs? wow that is weird...
@@55jhjhjkjk 😂
Nice
Thanks!
Normal that noting have the same flavour. There is bo chemical products in the food you so used to eat chemical food. I go every year to the usa and I get sick the first 2 days because the chemical stuf is your food
10 month in Belgium and you say French frees. Is not even French haha only foreign say that. We talk French to don’t mean the fries are French
Still using "French" fries after 10 months is unforgivable.
😅😂
Please don't tip in Europe, people in general don't like it. It's very condescending and can be seen as rude in some places. Don't bring this American scam over here
Why would we beep out certain words in songs ? Or in life or television... Ow no kids say fuck you... Ow noo kids say bad words then its peoples job as their parents to tell them off... U see Americans care so much about free speech but then every bad word gets beeped out ... OW the irony.
Why do you, like, use the word like, like every like 5 words like?
@@benvandevelde2967 a bad habit!! 😅😂
Well, she's very likeable 😂
@@colinbouckaert3450 🤣
Please, use a decent mic, please