If someone says ‘Dutch Food’ what is the first thing that springs to your mind? Is it Stroopwafels? Is it perhaps Poffertjes? For me, 9 times out of 10, it is Oliebollen.
However, delve further and I’m more than likely to roll off other Dutch foods that I really like. Like traditional British food, I also find Dutch food incredibly comforting.
So, with that in mind, what are 5 things that I recommend that you should try when you visit?
Oliebollen:
One of the first traditional foods I ever tried on one of my previous visits to Amsterdam was Oliebollen. Oliebollen are very similar to doughnuts, albeit ball shaped. Traditionally eaten on New Years Eve, Oliebollen are a Winter staple and you will certainly be able to find some vendors selling them in the Winter months. This one pictured above came from the Lankskroon Bakery – a lovely traditional Dutch bakery who have been serving up tasty treats for over 100 years.
Stroopwafel:
Perhaps one of the most famous sweet treats from the Netherlands are Stroopwafels. Delightful thin waffles joined together by usually a Caramel filling. When I was in Amsterdam, there were plenty of places selling these – some you could top with whatever you wanted. However, once again I went down the traditional route and I got this one from the bakery mentioned above.
Appeltaart:
This was one sweet treat that I thought I would have difficulty locating as I knew there was an amazing place called Winkel 43 in the Jordaan District which definitely had it. However, it is normally pretty busy with a queue of people waiting to be seated. Thankfully, one of the first places I visited on my recent trip (Anne Frank’s House) had some in their cafe which allowed me to try it. Now you may be wondering why (much to the amusement of my Mother) that I was so keen to try Dutch Apple Pie when we have good British Apple Pie back home? The answer is in the recipe. Appeltaart has a thick crust for both the bottom and the edges. It is then layered with apples and topped with either a lattice or a streusal top. It can be served with Cream (which I had) or Ice Cream.
Poffertjes:
Poffertjes are mini pancakes made with Yeast and Buckwheat Flour normally served with a little Butter & Powdered Sugar. Like Oliebollen, they are a festive treat and so you can usually pick them up from street vendors around Christmas and New Year time. I can confirm that they are absolutely delicious and the ones I picked up in Haarlem certainly went down far too well!
Frites & Fritessaus:
Heading to Amsterdam in November is cold. Needless to say, it is always nice to have something nice to warm up with. On my last trip, I was particularly fond of having Frites & Fritessaus ( which is a bit like Mayo). If you fancy some, you will find little outlets everywhere that will serve you these day or night.
Have you tried any of these foods?
