Dutch Delicacies
Windmills, tulips and wooden shoes are synonymous with the Netherlands. Some people know that cheese is also a big party of the Dutch culture. However, I list some other favorite dutch snacks that you may not be familiar with.
If you want to learn more about Amsterdam than just their food, read my High On Amsterdam travel blog.
Stroopwaffles
I’m ashamed when I think of how many bags of stroopwafels we ate during our 5 days in Amsterdam! While I was in Amsterdam I ran the Amsterdam marathon and I joked that I was fueled by stroopwafels. You can get them at cafes, fresh and hot at street markets, in souvenir stores or at the local grocery store Albert Heijn. After sampling them all, we liked the package from Albert Heijn the best. A Dutch secret is to lay the stroopwafels on top of a steaming cup of coffee to let the stroopwafels warm and, at the same time, soften the caramel inside. Stroopwafels are a great gift to bring home to friends, if they make it that far!
Gouda
You can’t go to Holland without trying some cheese, or Kaas, in Dutch. There are cheese stores all over the city that let you sample as much cheese as you can eat. Gouda is the most popular cheese in the Netherlands and it comes in many different flavors. My favorite has always been the cumin cheese and the herb cheese. Have fun sampling!
Borrelnootjes
This is a typical snack food in Holland. They are peanuts covered with a crispy coating. They come in all different flavors from cocktail (which is the original) to spicy. They’re a great snack to carry around while sightseeing.
Bitterballen
These deep fried meatballs are a bar staple. Eat them with mustard while drinking your Heineken and you’ll feel like a local
Herring
The dutch love their herring, whether it’s whole, served in a sandwich or sprinkled with raw onions. Herring is served raw and is found at many street carts. The most popular way to eat raw herring is by eating it whole with chopped raw onions. Hold the herring by the tail, lean your head back and let it slither down your throat. Let me know what you think!
Appeltaart
Appeltaart is another delicious dutch dessert. A combination between an apple pie and an apple cake, the dutch know how to do it right. The best appeltaart I’ve eating is at a bakery called Granny’s in the city of Groningen, which is in the north of Holland. I wasn’t able to find one quite as good in Amsterdam. Maybe I was too busy eating stroopwaffles and not sampling enough appeltaarts?!
Oliebollen
It seems that every country has their version of friend dough and this is the Dutch version. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, you can smell them being fried and sold on the streets. The Dutch eat oileballen on New Years Eve.
Poffertjes
These are like mini pancakes and are served at pancake houses. Put some butter and powdered sugar on top and enjoy these delightful treats.
Beer
Heineken & Grolsch- the two most popular beers in the Netherlands. Some bars are specific to a beer to check to see which beer is on tap before going into the bar.
Coffee
The dutch love their coffee anytime of day and their most popular brand is Douwe Egberts. It’s good coffee found all over the country (and the world).
Drop
This black licorice is the main candy of the Netherlands. You can find it sweet or salty but they both are rather hard and not my favorite.
Hagelslag
These chocolate sprinkles are used for breakfast. Butter a piece of bread and then sprinkle the hagelslag on top and enjoy. They also sell them in pink and blue which is used when a baby is born.
Did I forget anything? What’s your favorite Dutch food?