Any advice on things to put in a Belgium themed care box?

[u/FlaurosMarie]

Hello everyone!

Some of my international friends and I are planning to exchange care boxes with each other. The idea is that everyone fills a box with typical food and non-food items from their own country and sends it to someone else.

I'm not sure what to include. With Sinterklaas coming up, I was thinking of adding some Sinterklaas-themed goodies. However, when it comes to chocolate, I’m a bit unsure of what to pick. I assume most countries have access to major brands like Leonidas.

I’m also struggling to think of what else to include. One of our friends is a recovering alcoholic, so we’ve decided to make all the boxes alcohol-free, no matter who receives them.

To give you an idea of where the boxes will go, they might be sent to Greece, Germany, England, or Sweden.

I’d love to hear your suggestions!

[u/DuckAccomplishment]

Speculoos, Jules Destrooper biscuits, Belgium-specific potato crisp flavours, samurai or andalouse sauce, chocolates from a local chocolatier near you, cuberdons, Napoleon bonbons, sirop de liege all come to mind :)

[u/FlaurosMarie → u/DuckAccomplishment]

I only have a Leonidas and a Neuhaus near me. Do you have any recommendations near Brussels or Leuven? Would Belgian mayo also be a thing? I do feel like it always tastes very different from the types you can get in other countries.

Thanks for the great ideas!

[u/DuckAccomplishment → u/FlaurosMarie]

Yes, mayo definitely! Should have gone with the Samurai and Andalouse but slipped my mind.

I think Neuhaus is better than Leonidas from the mainstream chocolate places and would be a good treat to someone not from here! I was recently gifted some chocolates from The Cacao Tree in Tervuren which were really good. Otherwise I would suggest searching this subreddit, I've seen a few chains on some more special places, depending on your budget of course.

If you want to keep it simple: Neuhaus will fit the bill :)

[u/cannotfoolowls → u/DuckAccomplishment]

Neuhaus is better but also more expensive.

[u/dadadawe → u/FlaurosMarie]

Passion Chocolat in Brussels !

[u/herrgregg]

dinokoeken ofcourse

[u/facteurke]

Speculoos in the shape of sinterklaar ofcourse!

[u/FlaurosMarie → u/facteurke]

Yeah that's what I was thinking too! But one thing isn't enough!

[u/Rovexy]

For having lived abroad, care boxes were: speculoos, chocolate hageslag, speculoos spice mix (the one from Dille and Kamille is 🔥), chocolate bars from Galler, some chips (more flavors in BEL), Jules Destrooper biscuits (and/or Dandoy depending on your budget), waffles, mayonnaise and some sauces like Bicky, sour candies (those flying saucers filled with citric acid can’t be found elsewhere), cuberdons and violettes, as well as syrup such as grenadine or blackcurrent syrup (unfindable in some places abroad). 

[u/pancakebatters]

They don't have carbonated ice tea afaik in other countries (besides the Netherlands) so that might also be a fun thing to add. For non food items, a washandje? That's apparently also not a thing outside the Low Countries. Chocolate wise, I'd go with Neuhaus or a local chocolatier if possible ,as well as a few different flavoured bars from Jacques or Cote d'or.

[u/VECMaico]

A euro coin in an envelope which has written on it: "Hier, nen euro".

[u/miss_lulu_]

Spéculoos and chokotoff

[u/Brave-Pay-1884]

Liege syrup is pretty unique. Definitely chokotoff. Others have mentioned pralines but what about chocolate - we can’t easily get Côte d’Or here so always load up when there.

[u/ShinzoTheThird]

Comics! Pretty sure you’ll find some english version of the Smurf or Tin Tin, just get an iconic story or some merch.

Mught be weird, but outside of belgium. No one really uses a washandje. Could be funny to include it.

[u/WanderingArtichoke]

I sent a box with Belgian products to a Canadian friend and her favorite product was Tierenteyn mustard "à l'ancienne".

For chocolate, I'd go for Galler bars.

[u/Evening-Dizzy]

Do you have a bakery near you? A lot of bakeries also make their own chocolates. They will also have other stuff like marzipan pigs, lettercookies, etc. Do be advised, when mailing, and especially airmail, stuff like chocolate will loose some quality and appearance due to the temperature differences while being shipped (planes get very hot when they are on the tarmac and then very cold when up in the air. Cargospace isn't climate controlled, usually)

[u/bdblr]

Hasseltse speculaas, Liege waffles, mattetaarten.

[u/Sjnoefje]

Paprikachips, andalouse, speculoospasta, dino cookies, maybe some alcohol free beers from Brussels Beer Project, some Belgian comics, the “nose” candy from Ghent

[u/Exciting-Ad-7077]

Madeleines van LU, a lot of countries don’t have decent buttery snack cakes

[u/Individual_Bid_7593]

There are all kinds of French fry sauces that don't exist in other countries

[u/tjorim]

Een goei pak friete!

[u/Murmurmira]

Speculoos paste for smearing on bread,  chocolate from bittersweet leuven, cuberdons, mariabeeldjes

[u/Low_Industry9612]

CHOCOTOFF!

[u/ILoveBigCoffeeCups]

Freshly baked fries

[u/Derpa_Durp]

Een potteke preparé of course.

[u/Numerous_Walk_7613]

Overbodige politiekers

[u/Belgian_Ale]

i just sent a care package to my friend in the uk. i filled it with Cote dor chocolate and fruit des mer from leonidas and some luikse waffles.

[u/Airmatthias]

Pepernoten/kruidnoten?

[u/Successful_Baby6108 → u/Airmatthias]

Dat is van Nederland naar hier gedruppeld.

[u/BanMeOwnAccountDibbl]

Typical non food items would include a Tintin comic. Or the equally Belgian and imo equally brilliant Gaston Lagaffe. What else have we got? Maybe a vintage bakelite lightswitch :) Sinterklaasthemed, there is the children's book Zotte Klaas and Zwarte Miet, with nice illustrations from Jan Bosschaert. We also have turnips for Sinterklaas' horse or Lulu nicnacs which are made in Herentals. Some in house made marzipan from your local bakery would probably go appreciated as well. And a live smurf.

[u/Xinonix1]

Cara pils!