WARNING: Do not read this if you are hungry!
A big part about the Dutch culture is the traditional cuisine. It is said that love goes through one's stomach so you will definitely be in love with the Netherlands after you try out it's food. Maybe you're wondering what “lekker” means and why I chose it for my title. My Dutch vocabulary is not that broad but there are some words that I use frequently and “lekker” is one of them. I bet you will figure out the meaning by yourself, after reading the following. But let's not talk too much and get to the point straight away.
I know that tastes differ and a dish cannot please everyone, but my advice would be to try them all. Most of them look strange or disgusting, but you might be surprised how tasty they are. I will list below some traditional food hoping you will enjoy them as much as I do.
- Dutch French Fries (Patat Frites) are longer and thicker than usual fries, served with different toppings.
For example, friet speciaal are fries covered with mayonnaise, ketchup and raw chopped onions, whereas friet met satésaus comes with peanut sauce. - Gouda cheese, so called “the yellow gold”, is made of cow's milk and it tends to be sweeter and crunchy once it gets older.
- Frikandellen is a deep-fried thick sausage made of chicken, pork and beef which is usually served with Dutch fries and their special topping.
- Kroketten/Croquet has a soft and creamy filling, made of beef, onions, herbs, butter or margarine, broth and flour mixture, with a very crispy and crunchy coating.
- Dutch Raw Herring is typically served with raw onions. Beside its healthy benefits it is also tasty and famous for being a hangover cure.
And the list can continue but I really want to share with you some sweets suggestions. The next paragraph is completely dedicated to Dutch sweets.
- Stroopwafels are two waffle slices with a thick layer of caramel syrup in the middle. These tasty waffles are highly sweet and in my case they caused addiction :).
- Right, I bet you guessed, it`s apple pie. I have to admit that Dutch people have the best apple tart in Europe. Usually you can purchase it in places where you can drink your coffee or even in supermarkets.
- Dutch liquorice/ Drops. I have to warn you that these are not common drops. They smell good, come in different mini attractive shapes, but the taste is not for everyone. The combination of mint and salt can be confusing for your taste buds.
- Oliebollen also known as Dutch Doughnuts are traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve and during wintertime funfairs. Sprinkled with powdered sugar it can be the dream of any food-lover.
I would like to conclude my suggestions by recommending Cassis. It is a sparkling blackberry flavoured soft drink really tasty served with ice during summer time. I hope you will appreciate my suggestions and have a great experience here in the Netherlands.
