Stroopwafel
The ‚stroopwafel‚ originates from Gouda, a place south of Amsterdam. It was first made during the late 18th or early 19th century by a baker using leftovers from the bakery, such as breadcrumbs and sweetened it with syrup.
Kroket
he ‚kroket‚ is a deep fried roll with meat ragout inside, covered in breadcrumbs. The common English translation of‚ kroket‚ is croquette. The original Dutch ‚kroket‚ is made from beef or veal, but there are many different flavors like chicken satay, shrimps, goulash or even a vegetarian ‚kroket‚. You can eat a ‚kroket‚ as a snack, but most of the time they are served on sliced white bread or hamburger buns with mustard on the side. Be aware; the ‚kroket‚ can be quite hot inside.
Patat
A famous combination of toppings is mayonnaise, raw chopped onions and peanut sauce and is called a ‚patatje oorlog‚ (‚fries at war‚). It is tasty, but it does not look that way.‚ ‚Patat‚ is typically served in a paper cone or box.
Poffertjes
Fresh ‚poffertjes‚ are often made at an outdoor stand during winter. They are served on a small cardboard plate and come with a small fork. While butter and powdered sugar are the most common toppings; whipped cream, syrup and strawberries are also pretty common.
Bitterballen
The ‚bitterbal‚ has a crunchy breadcrumb coating with soft filling on the inside. Be careful when trying one, because the filling can be very hot. Inside the ‚bitterbal‚ you will find a mixture of beef, beef broth, butter, flour for thickening and spices (resulting in a thick ragout). ‚Bitterballen‚ are very alike ‚kroketten‚ in their ingredients, preparation as well as flavor.
Drop
The Dutch love licorice or as we called it ‚drop‚. ‘Drop‚ comes in different flavors and sizes, but basically there are two major differences: salty licorice and sweet licorice.
Kaas
The Dutch eat cheese for breakfast, on sandwiches for lunch or as a snack (cut in cubes) served with mustard at the end of the day. It tastes lovely with a glass of wine or beer.
Hagelslag
‚Hagelslag‚ is a (sandwich) filling of sprinkles, although you can sprinkle it on many other types of food as well (desserts mainly).‚ ‚Chocolade hagelslag‚ (chocolat sprinkles) are the most popular ones. Other varieties are anise (licorice) seed ‚hagelslag‚ or fruit flavored ‚hagelslag‚.
Oliebollen
‚Oliebollen‚ are traditional Dutch food.‚ ‚Oliebollen‚ are usually served with powdered sugar.‚ Oliebollen‚ (literally oil balls) are deep friend balls of dough. The dough is made from eggs, yeast, some salt, flour, milk and baking powder. Two varieties are baked normally; natural ones or with raisins/ currents inside.
Erwtensoep / snert
Erwtensoep or snert is made of split peas, celery, leeks, carrots and pork. This pea soup is a very thick soup. The thick ‚erwtensoep‚ is traditionally eaten during the winter with slices of ‚rookworst‚ (smoked sausage) and rye bread with ‚katenspek‚ (a type of Dutch bacon, first cooked and then smoked).
Stamppot
Stamppot is an old-style Dutch dish. It is made of mashed potatoes mixed with one or more vegetables like kale, carrots, endive or sauerkraut. ‚Stamppot‚ is traditionally served during the winter and enjoyed best with ‚rookworst‚.Several restaurants have it on their menu and there even is a small company in Amsterdam called ‚Stamppotje‚, serving these specific dishes only.
Rookworst
‚Rookworst‚ is a Dutch smoked sausage. It is most often eaten with ‚stamppot‚ and mostly comes with ‚erwtensoep‚. The taste is comparable to a hotdog, but ‚rookworst‚ is bigger and the skin is a bit crispier. ‚Rookworst‚ can be bought in every supermarket.
Lekkerbekje / Kibbeling
This is the Dutch variaty of fish and chips, but without the chips. ‚Lekkerbekje‚ and ‚Kibbeling‚ refer to battered and deep-fried white fish, commonly codfish or whiting from the North Sea.‚ The only difference between these two is that ‚kibbeling‚ is cut into chunks, while ‚lekkerbekje‚ is not. ‚Kibbeling‚ is served with dipping sauces like a mayonnaise-based remoulade sauce (similar to tartar sauce) or garlic sauce.
Pannenkoeken
‚Pannenkoeken‚ are common around the world, but the Dutch version of the pancake is larger and thinner than the American pancakes, but thicker than a French crªpe. The ‚pannenkoek‚ is a delight for children, but anyone can enjoy a ‚pannenkoek‚. A lovely way of eating a pancake in Amsterdam is by taking the special ‚pannenkoekenboot‚ (pancake boat).
