Every country has it’s own culinary history; some are famous all over the world like Italian, French and Chinese food and others are not so famous for their food. I guess because the Netherlands is such a small country we belong to the last group.
While travelling in South and Central America we were regularly asked about Dutch food. Except for our famous cheese and Heineken beer not a lot of people know about the many delicious typical Dutch treats which are a bit of a rarity outside the borders of our country.
Here’s a nice list to start with whenever you visit the Netherlands or have the opportunity to taste it somewhere else.
Top 10 typical Dutch delicacies you definitely have to taste!
1) Dutch Cheese
The older the better and so tasty. Try some Dutch cheeses from different ages from young to old they are called: Jong, Jong Belegen, Belegen, Extra Belegen and Oud.
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| Our Israeli friends buying cheese in our local cheese shop |
2) Fresh brown bread from the bakery
Just the smell of it will make you happy!
3) White asparagus
4) Stroopwafels
Thin waffles filled with a caramel-like syrup filling, best tried when you buy them while they are still warm on the market. Or put them on top of your teacup to warm them up a bit.
5) Frikandel speciaal
According to Wikipedia it is ‘a Dutch snack, a sort of minced-meat hot dog filled with mayonnaise, curry ketchup and chopped raw onion’; you can find them in any snackbar
It is always the first thing I eat after coming home from a long trip.
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| Frikandel speciaal with lots of raw onions |
6) Dutch wine
Still unknown but getting better every year. More about this topic in my next post!
7) Dutch new herring with chopped raw onions
Not my kind of treat but another seasonal and typical Dutch delicacy though. The herring season normally starts in May and lasts untill August (when the herring has a fat content of minimal 16 percent). More info on Dutch new herring can be found on Honest Cooking. And for a nice description on how we eat them check out this funny piece on Stuff Dutch People Like.
Until December 2013 this was the only Trappist brewery in the Netherlands. It's located in the South of the Netherlands and definitely worth a visit. And while you're there also try the bitterballen which are made with Trappist beer.
9) Poffertjes
They look like little pancakes served with butter and icing sugar. Mostly found on markets or fairs.
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| Poffertjes made on a special poffertjes baking tray |
A 'Bossche Bol' is a chocolate treat full with whipped cream from the city of ‘s-Hertogenbosch; the fact that there is a line of people on the street waiting to order every day is always a good sign. Jan de Groot Bakery is the most famous one. If you don't want to wait in the line to order them there you can also sit down on one of the outdoor cafes in the city; most of them sell the 'Jan de Groot Bossche Bollen'.
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| The famous Bossche Bollen from Jan de Groot in 's-Hertogenbosch |
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| This is the sign to look for; close to the Central Train station in 's-Hertogenbosch (also called Den Bosch) |
Besides that we have many more typical Dutch food; drop (a black candy), lamb from the island Texel, lobster from the Oosterschelde and some local treats from the bakery like; eierkoeken, krentenbollen, Zeeuwse bolussen and vlaai from Limburg.
