Food & Drink

The traditional Dutch cuisine is hearty, down-to-earth, and perfect for the cool, damp climate:

The Classics

• Bitterballen — Fried meat croquettes, the ultimate beer accompaniment. Crispy on the outside, creamy-hot on the inside. Available in every Bruin Café. Caution: boiling hot inside! 6 pieces from 6 €.
• Stamppot — Mashed potatoes with vegetables (Boerenkool = kale, Hutspot = carrots and onions, Zuurkool = sauerkraut), served with Rookworst (smoked sausage). The Dutch national dish in winter.
• Erwtensoep (Snert) — Thick pea soup with smoked sausage, bacon, and rye bread pieces. So thick that the spoon stands upright. Winter food number 1.
• Haring (Hollandse Nieuwe) — Raw herring, traditionally held by the tail and let into the mouth from above (or in a bun, the civilized version). With chopped onions and pickles. The new harvest from June is celebrated like a holiday.
• Kibbeling — Fried fish pieces (usually cod) with garlic sauce. Available at every harbor and market. From 5 €.
• Kroket — The larger sister of the Bitterbal: elongated croquette with meat ragout filling. From the vending machine (FEBO) or in a bun from the snack bar.

The Netherlands is a paradise for sweet tooths — the selection of sweets is impressive:

• Stroopwafels — Two thin waffle slices with caramel syrup in between. Fresh from the market (warm, sticky, divine) or packaged from the supermarket. THE quintessential Dutch souvenir. Tip: Place the packaged Stroopwafel on top of a hot coffee cup — the syrup becomes soft and flowing.
• Poffertjes — Tiny, fluffy pancakes with butter and powdered sugar. At stands on markets and fairs. A plate (15 pieces) from 5 €.
• Pannenkoeken — Dutch pancakes: larger and thinner than German ones, with bacon, cheese, apple, or syrup. Pannenkoekenhuizen are family-friendly restaurants.
• Drop — Licorice in every conceivable form: sweet, salty, double-salted (extreme salty licorice — only for the brave!), soft, hard. The Dutch consume more licorice per capita than any other nation.
• Vla — A thick vanilla pudding available in every supermarket. Flavors: vanilla, chocolate, caramel, hopjes (coffee). Drunk straight from the carton.
• Tompouces — Puff pastry treats with pink icing (on King's Day: orange). The Dutch version of the mille-feuille.
• Oliebollen — Fried dough balls with raisins, the Dutch New Year's Eve pastry. Available at stands everywhere from November.

The true secret weapon of Dutch cuisine is the colonial heritage: Indonesian and Surinamese immigration has fundamentally enriched Dutch food culture.

Indonesian Rijsttafel

The Rijsttafel (rice table) is the most magnificent culinary experience in the Netherlands: 12–20 small dishes are served simultaneously — Rendang (braised beef in coconut milk), Satay (grilled skewers with peanut sauce), Nasi Goreng, Gado-Gado (vegetables with peanut sauce), Sambal (spicy!), Tempeh, Atjar (pickled vegetables), and much more. A feast for all the senses.

The Rijsttafel is a Dutch invention — it doesn't exist in this form in Indonesia itself. It originated in colonial times as a prestige meal of Dutch plantation owners. Budget: 25–45 € per person, depending on the restaurant.

Surinamese Cuisine

After Suriname's independence (1975), a third of the population migrated to the Netherlands — and brought a fantastic cuisine with them:

• Roti — Flatbread with curry (chicken, potato, beans). The soul food of the Netherlands. From 8 €.
• Broodje Pom — Sandwich with taro casserole (Pomtajer). Uniquely Surinamese-Dutch.
• Bakabana — Fried plantain with peanut sauce. Sweet, salty, perfect.
• Moksi Meti — Mixed grilled meat with rice and various sauces.

Two things without which the Netherlands wouldn't be the Netherlands: Cheese and Beer.

Cheese

The Netherlands is the largest cheese exporter in the world. Two types of cheese dominate:

• Gouda — Named after the city, it accounts for 60% of Dutch cheese production. From jong (4 weeks, mild) to belegen (4–8 months) to overjarig (over 18 months, intense and crystalline). Aged Gouda with mustard is a delight.
• Edam — Recognizable by the red wax coating (for export). Milder than Gouda, spherical in shape. Domestically, it is sold without wax.
• Leidse Kaas — Semi-hard cheese with cumin from Leiden. Particularly popular among connoisseurs.

At every market and in every cheese shop, you can (and should!) taste. Price: From 15 €/kg for young Gouda, up to 40 €/kg for overripe.

Beer

Heineken is the most famous Dutch export — but not the best. The Dutch craft beer scene has exploded:

• Heineken Experience — The former brewery in Amsterdam is an interactive museum (23 €, including 2 beers). Touristy, but entertaining.
• Brouwerij 't IJ — Amsterdam's most iconic craft brewery, located in a windmill (!). The IPA and the Natte are excellent. Terrace with a view of the mill.
• Jopen — Haarlem brewery in a former church. The Adriaan is a fantastic blond.
• Texelse Bierbrouwerij — Island beer with seaweed and dune thyme.
• Proeflokaal Arendsnest (Amsterdam) — Bar with exclusively Dutch beer: 50 on tap, 100 from the bottle.