A couple of recent visits to our northern neighbours brought this home to me. When I told my wife I was going on a business trip to Amsterdam, she warned me to expect broodjes kaas – bread and cheese, and that’s exactly what lunch consisted of, and I had to make up the sandwich like everyone else present. Very nice, but very different from Flemish custom.

A family outing took us back north, this time to Gouda. Soon we were sitting outside at a pavement café overlooking the town square. Despite the omnipresent orange, it looked a lot like Flanders. The spell was broken when the person at the next table was served a slice of bread with a long croquette on it; she then cut it open and spread the croquette on the bread. I had to look twice: kroket met brood! Here was a moment to show up one of the main differences between Flanders and the Netherlands, namely the food.

Don’t get me wrong: a trip north always involves a visit to a shop to buy those biscuits and treats that are not usually found in Belgium.

But food is treated differently there. Go to a restaurant after eight in the evening and you will probably be the last to eat. And no Dutchman is sent off to the baker’s on a Sunday because they’re never open.

So the perfect antidote to kroket met brood should be the Bollekesfeest in Antwerp this week, named after the local beer served in round glasses, and for four days devoted to food and drink. And as you should eat when you drink (bij ieder natje een droogje –“with every wet one a dry one”) the city’s top restaurants will be laying on samples of their delicacies aan democratische prijzen – at reasonable prices.

You can join a culinaire wandeling – culinary walk, where a guide tells the history of Antwerp and links it to the residents’ claim to be de Bourgondiërs van het noorden – the Burgundians of the north. And on the way you can try various streekspecialiteiten – local specialities. Then there’s the street market of kitchen items, behalve voedsel of drank – except food or drink!

All this will be going on in De Gedempte Zuiderdokken – the filled-in southern docks, near Antwerpen-Zuid rail station. And you can be sure that many of the people that you will be rubbing shoulders with will be Dutch.