Dutch Food For Foreigners: 8 Dishes you have to try

1. Stamppot

The Stamppot, in a nutshell, is a piece of mashed potatoes with a mix of vegetables of your choice (sauerkraut, spinach, kohlrabi, carrots, onions or kale). It is often served with rookworst (smoked sausage) and / or bacon. If you’re lucky, you’ll also get a sauce: make a small hole in the middle of the puree, then fill it with the sauce. Among the Dutch, this is nothing more than “kuiltje jus”.

2. Stroopwafels

Stroop means Syrup and probably you’ll guess what wafel means. This is one of the most popular snacks in the Netherlands. Understandably! Stroopwafel is a delicacy made of two thin layers of baked dough and caramel-like filling. Very easy to get addicted.

3. Kibbeling

Fried fish fillet, in a way it is a Dutch-style fish and chip. Originally, it was made from only the head of codfish, but nowadays they use the entire fish. This dish is a must if you go to the beach.

4. Drop

Just don’t.

5. Frikandel Unlike to many foreigners, this is one of my favorites. In the Netherlands, this is often a long, thin, sausage-like, dark-colored meat roulade. Most of the time they eat it hot and fried. It is often served with curry ketchup or mayonnaise, with or without bread, but there are even people who eat it with plain ketchup, mustard, or apple sauce (!).

6. Haring (Hollandse Nieuwe) Herring isn’t weird at all, apart from the fact that the Dutch like to eat raw. If you want to follow the traditions, tilt your head back, grab a herring and let it nicely into your mouth and bite the fish like that. It’s not a glamorous sight at all, but it’s really funny and you should definitely try it. If you don't like this method, you can try it in a bun, with various extras if you like, including diced onions and / or sweet cucumbers. This is called “broodje haring”. Herring is available all year round in the Netherlands, but is only fished from May to July and this freshly caught fish is called “Hollandse Nieuwe”. Every year, then, the traditional sale of freshly caught fish begins, you can get it almost everywhere, and even herring festivals are held in several towns and villages.

7. Oliebollen

Basically a doughnut but (in my opinion) yummier. The origin of the donut is disputed, but according to one theory, Dutch immigrants showed the Americans the recipe, and they copied and shaped their own from them. Doughnut dough is made from flour, eggs, yeast, salt, milk and baking powder, and usually, dates or raisins are mixed in as well. After it’s fried, they sprinkle it with some extra powdered sugar. You can find oliebollen on the streets, shops and markets around Christmas time.

8. Poffertjes The mini-pancake-like dessert is most popular among the Dutch in winter. They are mostly sold with powdered sugar and butter (you read that very well - butter!), But you can also ask for syrup.