Recently, I visited the Netherlands and was seriously surprised by the food. Many of the popular Dutch foods have such a rich cultural background, but they’re also perfect for the modern millennial. You can’t find a lot of the foods you find there in North America, which is really a bummer. So, here are five foods we need to consider adopting from the Dutch.
Frites
Frites, or fries, are found in every street corner shop in Amsterdam and they’re to die for. Warm and crispy, and served in a cone made of paper with a plastic fork, this snack differs from your regular fries because of the assortment of condiments, ranging from mayo (the most popular and traditional) to hot chili sauce. As someone who takes their condiments very seriously, I had a hard time choosing, but some locals recommended spicy mayo and another house-made barbecue sauce, and it was absolutely amazing. If these portable fries were readily available here at home, they would definitely be every college student’s go-to late night indulgence.
Pannenkoeken
Pannenkoeken, or Dutch pancakes, are much thinner and lighter than American pancakes. Their texture is more like a crepe, but slightly thicker. However, it’s not the consistency or thickness that sets Pannenkoeken apart. It’s actually the size—the Dutch pancakes are enormous. They are the size of a large plate, and come with a wide variety of toppings, from sweet bananas and honey to more savory bacon and cheese. Either way, you really can’t go wrong— the texture is crispy on the outside but soft on the inside and tastes like heaven in food form. Get the recipe here.
Stroopwafel
This one might seem familiar to you. If you’ve ever hungrily browsed the snack selection at Starbucks near the checkout, you have probably encountered this delicious dessert before. The traditional variety consists of perfectly melted, smooth caramel sauce sandwiched between two warm, buttery, chewy waffle-cookies. While the Starbucks stroopwafels can taste artificial, freshly-made stroopwafels have a delicious, perfectly balanced sweetness and texture that would make them instant hits at our local cafes or coffee shops. Whether you eat them fresh with chocolate glaze or packaged in the traditional flavors, you really can’t go wrong.
Indonesian Cuisine
While this isn’t Dutch food, there is a huge Indonesian influence on the Dutch culinary scene. The Netherlands colonized Indonesia as the Dutch East Indies, and because of that, there is a large Indonesian flare in Dutch food to this day. In fact, one of the popular meals in the Netherlands is rijsttafel, or “rice table”. This is the Dutch take on Indonesian food, with the meal consisting of a large variety of side dishes in many courses. When I went to Amsterdam, this was one of the best things I ate, hands down.
Poffertjes
Poffertjes are small Dutch pancake balls, and are a staple in Dutch cafés, parks, and tourist sites. They use a similar batter as regular pancakes but they come out light and airy, like clouds. A special grill is used with individual wells for each pancake, so that the shape is perfectly consistent. Every time I’ve had these, the pan was slathered in copious amounts of butter before being cooked, which is probably the secret behind their melt-in- your-mouth texture. Poffertjes are usually served with powdered sugar on top, and you can add a variety of toppings such as strawberries, Nutella, chocolate, or nuts. They probably won’t turn out as great if you try to make them at home, so we need to bring these over to every bakery and brunch spot in America.
Although these are just a few of the delicious foods you can find in the Netherlands, they are extremely versatile and can be appreciated by a wide variety of palettes and preferences. Essentially, they would be a big hit anywhere. Personally, I feel like the world would be a better place if I could stroll into IHOP and feast on poffertjes or munch on hot, fresh stroopwafel with my daily cup (or four cups) of coffee.