Hello dear reader, today I will tell you more about the Dutch cuisine. I was born and raised in the Netherlands, so I will be able to tell you a few of the typical Dutch dishes and meals. Although the Dutch cuisine is not very well known or popular, there are a few things you should try when visiting my home country.
First, all Dutch people eat bread; loads of it. So when visiting, make sure to buy a bread at the store, put some chocolate sprinkles, or as we call it, ‘hagelslag’, on it, and enjoy! You are now having a typical Dutch breakfast and/or lunch. You could also put other things on the bread, like cheese or Nutella. Speaking about cheese, make sure you try some of the Gouda and Edam cheese, as they are made in the Netherlands.
A typical Dutch dinner is of course stamppot. This contains potatoes mashed with vegetables and often a smoked sausage on the side. It is a simple meal, and that is also what the Dutch kitchen is based off; easy and practical meals. Stamppot can be made in many different ways, with many different ingredients. Stamppot itself is more of an umbrella term for these meals. One of those is ‘zuurkool’. This is made of sauerkraut, mashed with potatoes, often with some bacon bits in it, or a smoked sausage. Another variant is ‘boerenkool’, literally translated into farmers’ cabbage. This also contains mashed potatoes of course, with kale and bacon bits. And of course, a smoked sausage. These are just a few of the possible stamppot meals, there are many more options.
The Dutch people also have very good snacks. The ‘bitterbal’ is a very good example of that. Those are deep-fried breaded balls with a beef or veal ragout. The ‘kroket’ is the same as a bitterbal, but is sausage-shaped. Often, these snacks will be served with mustard. A kroket can also be served with a sandwich, which is then called a ‘broodje kroket’. You should really try these snacks, as they are very popular late night snacks here in the Netherlands!
One of the best sweets we have in the Netherlands is the stroopwafel. You have probably heard of it before, as it is quite famous. It is a cookie, made of two waffles with caramel syrup in between. It is absolutely delicious and can be made in different styles, with different syrups in between. You can eat it hot at a market, but most Dutch people just but them at their local supermarket and eat it at room temperature. You can also buy the cookies in pieces at the market. The stroopwafel is also very popular when raising money for charity, as it is one of the most popular cookies in the Netherlands.
I hope I gave you a little insight in the Dutch cuisine. Make sure you try all of these recipes, snacks and cookies when you are visiting the Netherlands.