The British Berliner
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Dutch food & waffles: what to eat in Holland!
OMG!
What a great reception we had about my previous post on Zaandam! Such a surprise and discovery for many!
For those of you just joining, and if so, where have you been all my life?
Here they are:
- How to visit Amsterdam in two days. With a teenager!
- How to visit Amsterdam: Introducing Zaandam – a Dutch traditional town with windmills!
- Without child in tow. Get your minds out of the gutter! I went to a sex-show in the city of red lights and thin canals: That’s right. 48 hours in Amsterdam!!!
As promised, I’m going to write about Dutch food.
Now last week, was a bit of a long post..and after a week of skiing in the Czech Republic, I’m rather worn out, so I’ll just give you the barest of literature, and let the pictures speak for themselves!
WHAT IS DUTCH FOOD?
Dutch food, otherwise known as Nederlandse keuken, consists of the food traditions and practices, from the Netherlands!
Now it’s really confusing trying to explain what the difference between Holland and the Netherlands is, so I’ll let this hilarious video explain it for you!
Sadly, Holland, like Germany, is not really known for it’s excellent variety of food.
Traditionally, Dutch food is considered to be somewhat of the simple and straightforward variety with lots of vegetables, and very little meat. In short, quite rustic!
However, due to the influence of colonialism in the Dutch East Indies, and a contemporary international mix, Dutch food has become more interesting, more diverse, and far healthier, with sprinkles of stodge during the cold winter months!
Take a look below:
DUTCH FOOD AND WAFFLES: WHAT TO EAT IN HOLLAND!
BREAKFAST:
A Dutch breakfast is typically Continental in style and usually consists of a wide variety of cold cuts, cheeses and sweet toppings; such as chocolate spread, treacle, otherwise known as stroop, peanut butter and apple butter!
There is also a wide variety of whole grain bread as well as Dutch bread, with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, rye bread, a Frisian version of white bread known as suikerbrood, or otherwise known as white bread with lumps of sugar mixed in. Eeek!
Kerststol – a traditional Dutch Christmas bread made out of dough, sugar, dried fruits, almond paste and currants, and Ontbijtkoek or peperkoek – a Dutch spiced gingerbread type of cake often served at breakfast, with a thick layer of butter on top!
In fact, a breakfast of everything that you could ever desire!
Cost: €4.99 – €22.00
SNACKS:
You can find a wide variety of snacks all over Holland.
They tend to range from french fries to mini pancakes. The deep-fried battered codfish, whiting or cod cheeks from the North Sea above is known as Kibbeling, and often served with a mayonnaise-based garlic, remoulade, or tartar sauce, as well as a variety of different seafood sauces!
We bought ours from a seafood stand in Zaandam, where all manner of herring and seafood is sold.
And very nice they were too!
Most of the snacks are quite greasy, but nice and cheap.
Ranging from mini burgers to croquettes!
And when in Rome, do as the Dutch do and use a vending machine!
However, make sure that you use a “restaurant-bar” rather than at the train station, as you can be sure that the replacements are always fresh. There were queues of respectable people using these very same “restaurant-bars,” so no need to fear if they’re alright. They’re alright!
And make sure that you have the correct change, ‘cos you won’t get your money back if you don’t!
Cost: €1.50 – €7:00
CHEESE:
If you were to ask most people which food items remind them of Holland, as in Switzerland, most people would say cheese!
The Dutch have been making cheese since 800 B.C. and some say, that Holland is the largest cheese exporter in the world!
With an average of 21 kilograms per year per person, we can say the Dutch love their own cheese.
In fact, Dutch people eat cheese for breakfast, cheese on sandwiches, cheese for lunch, cheese as a snack, and cheese for supper served with mustard, and a lovely glass of Dutch beer!
The Dutch are very famous for their cheeses ranging from semi-hard or hard cheeses such as Gouda, Edam, and Leyden, and as such, the five (5) most traditional cheese markets in Holland can be found in Alkmaar, Edam, Hoorn, Gouda and Woerden.
In fact, you can still see how cheese merchants do business, much as they have done, for more than 600 years! And of course, “Old Amsterdam” cheese which you can get all over Amsterdam!
A typical Dutch way of making cheese is to blend in herbs or spices during the first stage of the production process, such as in cheeses with cloves (Friesian Clove), cumin (Leyden cheese), Dutch Farmhouse Cheese with Italian Black Truffle, and even cheese with nettles!
Cheese in Holland is exciting!
Cost: €1.50 – €..whatever!
DINNER:
Traditionally a Dutch dinner would have potatoes with a large portion of vegetables and a small portion of meat with gravy, or a potato and vegetable stew.
Vegetable stews are often served with side dishes such as rodekool met appeltjes, otherwise known as red cabbage with apples, or rode bieten, otherwise known as beetroot!
Yum!
They are also served with pickles, including augurken, otherwise known as gherkins, or zilveruitjes, otherwise known as cocktail onions!
One of the most popular traditional Dutch foods would be stamppot, otherwise known as mashed potatoes with a variety of mashed vegetables!
But, you know, you don’t have to contend with traditional food, and stodge, you can have “nice food” too. The like of which we had at our quirky Inntel Hotels Amsterdam Zaandam, in the very nice and interesting windmill-filled town of Zaandam!
Just look at this succulent guinea fowl!
Or how about this rather wonderful meal of venison steak?
Delightful!
Cost: €12.00 – €20.00
DESSERT:
The most popular Dutch dessert is that of the stroopwafel, otherwise known as a waffle!
It’s not any old waffle of course, as the stroopwafel originated from the town of Gouda, and was first made during the late 18th or early 19th century!
It was said that a baker invented the Dutch waffle by using leftovers from the bakery, such as breadcrumbs, and sweetening it with syrup.
Dutch waffles – the stroopwafel – is made from baked batter and sliced horizontally. Two thin layers of the waffle are filled with special sweet and sticky syrup, otherwise known as the stroop, and put in between.
Occasionally, crushed hazelnuts are mixed with the stroop, and the dough is also spiced with cinnamon.
We also had a Dutch speciality known as vla or vlaai!
The word vla was first documented in the 13th century and originally referred to any custard-like substance covering a cake, or any other baked good. The word vlaai is related and has since come to refer to a type of pie filled with either fruit, custard, rhubarb or rice pudding!
The vlaai we had was a sort of mini custard pie, served with whipped cream, and tasty ice-cream!
Cost: €3.00 – €6.50
ANYTHING ELSE?
Oh yes.
Try Dutch beer!
Cost: €3.50 – €5.00
That’s it for now.
See you next week!
DUTCH FOOD AND WAFFLES: WHAT TO EAT IN HOLLAND!
This article is not sponsored and all opinions and the marvellous Dutch food that we tasted and happily consumed, are my very own!
It’s February!
I’ll be at the Bistro France Mediatournee 2017 on 07.02.17.
If you’re a blogger or just like travelling, and you’re in town, then come and meet us at the Berlin Travel Massive February MeetUp on February 9th.
The 67th Berlin International Film Festival, otherwise known as the Berlinale, will take place from 09.02.17 – 19.02.17
Strictly Stand Up – The English Comedy Night will take place at the Quatsch comedy Club on 15.02.17. Save the Date!
If you’re not in Berlin in February, you’re missing all the excitement!
February is going to be remarkable!
Watch this space!
Note! I never travel without insurance as you never know what might happen.
I learnt my lesson in Spain. And obviously, in countries like Qatar, where technically the risk is higher, I can’t imagine going that far beyond, WITHOUT INSURANCE. No siree! You can get yours here, at World Nomads!
Please note that there are now affiliate links (for the very first time) connected to this post. Please consider using the links, because every time some sort of accommodation or travel insurance is booked via my links I get a little percentage, but at no extra cost to yourself!
A win-win for all!
Thanks a million!
What do you think of Dutch food? Do you have a favourite? Have your say!
31 Comments on “Dutch food & waffles: what to eat in Holland!”
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Fries + mayo = best combo! I also miss waffles from Holland. They taste the best when you have them with hot chocolate! Mniam!
Thanks very much Agness!
You’re right! Wafföes and hot chocolate are the best! ‘Missing Dutch food already lol! 🙂
Haha!!! Unlike Agnes, I say .. leave the mayo out and l will eat everything on this post, especially those pancakes which l am so missing right now 🙂 . Delicious post :-).
Ho! Ho! Thanks very much KemKem, I’m the same! Leave out the mayo! And whatever you do, don’t mix ’em!
Yep! Dutch food wasn’t so bad after all….! 🙂
I actually discovered the joys of fries (chips) with mayo when I was in Holland in 2004. Being from the United States, it’s not really a thing here. I was never much of a ketchup fan, but when I tried it with mayo, I was hooked! I came back to the U.S. asking for mayo for my fries all the time, usually getting funny looks. In more recent years, Aioli has become quite popular here in California, which is essentially just mayo mixed with something (garlic, sriracha, maybe chives, etc.). But order just plain mayo and people still give you funny looks. I think it’s hilarious! Still, I credit the Dutch for first introducing me to this culinary delight 🙂
I also discovered the joy of nutella for breakfast on that same trip.
The joys of Dutch food indeed!
Thanks very much Heather!
Mayo & chips. Tell me about it. I too had the shock of my life when I first went to Amsterdam ever. Such a long time ago as a fresh graduate. Ahem! ‘cos not only were they selling chips. With mayo. But also beer. Just like that! ‘Like on the street. And in McDonalds too. I couldn’t believe it!
And now I live in Berlin, it’s mayo and ketchup with everything. Although I always say with ketchup only or just a blob of mayo. Or better with Remoulade instead or Tartar Sauce. I know. I’ve totally changed and become all European. In Britain, it’s mushy peas and gravy. Or curry sauce. It’s still quite delish, but still so is tartar.
p.s. ‘Love Aioli. I still can’t do without my butter on my bread, but for Aioli, I’ll let it pass lol! 🙂
haha I do love the curry sauce they always have in Britain. Yum! Can’t find that here unless you go to a British pub, which I do find myself at from time to time.
And Aioli is definitely an exception…delicious!
Me too lol! I made perfectly sure that our son is inbimbed into British food culture. Not so my German husband, who will “try it out” at a British restaurant in the UK, but won’t eat it at home except at Xmas…! 🙂
Hahahaha!!!! My husband might be American, but he loooooves British food. So no problems there! Good you’re starting your son young 🙂
He’s a chip off his mother’s block. I only hope that he’s not going to turn out to be a Done that. Seen that. Already climbed that volcano travel brat. When we went to a hostel in Switzerland last year. He was visibly shocked and wanted to know why we weren’t going to a hotel with fur on the floor. That was Estonia… lol! 🙂 😉
haha that’s always a danger, but sounds like he’s still got the enthusiasm for it 🙂 Also just read your post about Estonia…sounds like such a lovely trip. Hopefully I’ll get there someday!
Indeed he does! Isn’t Estonia just great! They’re a tiny country, but they’ve done so much. And they’re just “across the road” from Finland, so they get a lot of Swedish & Finnish tourists who not only go there for sight-seeing but who go “shopping” for booze too lol! 🙂
p.s. If you ever get to the Nordic zone, hop to Estonia too.
Hahahaha it’s all about that booze!
Will definitely have to check out Estonia when I’m in the area 🙂
Absolutely! 🙂
I really loved those pungent, crumbly orange cheeses in Amsterdam. But waffles??? NO! It’s all about the amazing pancakes!
Thanks so much Anna!
Cheese? Yes, please! Ha! Ha! Waffles & pancakes Yeah! Let’s put it this way. If there’s cream & fruit & really thick clotted cream. It’s waffles. If it’s thin & plain with just a light sprinkle of castor sugar, it’s pancakes or crêpes. And definitely no chocolate or nutella. Ugh! Ewww!
p.s. How are you doing? ‘Haven’t seen you in cyberspace for a while…!
Yeah I am stuck in my office, physically and mentally, about 16 hrs a day, and then am totally crashed out on weekends. The only digital place I show up to on the regular is Instagram 🙂
Oh no! It must be awful at the moment. I know that your TV job is exciting and sometimes challenging, but that sucks! Aaaaaaah!
On the plus side, I was just interviewed by the New York Times :))) And Buzzfeed
That’s marvellous news Anna! Well done. Where can we see it? :)))))
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/world/europe/russias-rt-network-is-it-more-bbc-or-kgb.html
Wow! This is serious stuff, but very cool! Congratulations. This is totally up there. The NY Times & the BBC!
p.s. No photos of yourself? You look like brains & glam, which probably would have set the tone lol! 🙂
I was exhausted and looked like shit that day, and had no time for the makeup chair, so I asked to skip the photo sesh. But it was a Pulitzer-winning photog, we love all the photos!
‘Quite understand! A wonderful article though & great photography. We’re proud of you. 😀
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