Om, nom, nom — that’s the perpetual background score to my day. So naturally, when I arrived in the Netherlands, my first thought was: Dutch food! 🥧
I won’t lie, I was quite disappointed when I was told that there is no real “Dutch cuisine” (the Dutchies agreed) — but my inner foodie knew I wasn’t giving up that easily!
I decided to set out on my own little adventure into the world of Dutch delicacies, and I found some surprising treasures along the way.
1. Stroopwafel: syrup sandwiches
Meet the stroopwafel — arguably the most popular Dutch snack.
The stroopwafel is a thin biscuit made of a caramel filling encased in dough. Although originally from Gouda, this syrupy wonder can now be found all over the world.
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It’s available in several flavours, from humble caramel to honey or dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. It doesn’t matter how you eat it, hot or cold, you’ll be sure to love it.
Tip: To experience the stroopwafel at its best, enjoy it with a hot cup of koffie (coffee) or thee (tea).
2. Poffertjes: baby pancakes
Can we start with how adorable poffertjes look? 🥺
Poffertjes are a tinier, fluffier version of the pancake, and you’ll find numerous outdoor stalls selling them with a variety of toppings.
The classic version includes powdered sugar and butter — but feel free to level up the yumminess (and calories) by slathering on some whipped cream, syrup and strawberries!
Tip: For a one-way trip to the seventh heaven, try adding some Nutella!
3. Bitterballen: fried, breadcrumbed meatballs
I was quite fascinated by these meaty balls, since all that I was ever asked in relation to Dutch food was, “Have you tried bitterballen yet?”
I finally did. And I wasn’t disappointed.
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Bitterballen is a fast-favourite Dutch snack, found in almost every nook and corner of the country. Filled with soft (almost liquid) meat goodness inside, coated with bread crumbs and deep-fried — what is there not to like? Best served with a biertje!
Tip: Try bitterballen with some mustard and a kopstootje (a glass of beer served with a shot of jenever — lekker!)
4. Friet/Patat: French fries on steroids
We all know and love the humble French fry, but you may occasionally have a hankering for something more substantial. Enter… frietjes (or patatjes).
Thicker than normal fries, the Dutch version has them with raw chopped onions and mayonnaise, topped with peanut sauce. The combination is known as a patatje oorlog or fries at war (an accurate depiction of the state of the plate).
By the way, did you know there is also a war on what to call fries? 🤔 The north of Holland (including Rotterdam) says patat whereas the south (and Belgium) calls them friet.
Tip: Ask for patat met to order like a Dutchie, and you’ll receive the ever-popular fries with mayonnaise.
5. Kroketten: fried, breadcrumbed cylinders
Outside of the Netherlands, a kroket is known as the humble croquette. It’s extremely similar to the bitterballen, except for its shape.
Originally, krokets were made from ragout, but my personal favourite is the kaaskroket that’s filled with cheese. (Hey, no judgements, okay — who doesn’t like fried cheese?)
READ MORE | Dutch cheese varieties: the comprehensive (and cheesy) guide
You can eat a kroket on its own, or have it in a sandwich or burger with mustard on the side.
Tip: These are quite hot inside, so be careful with the first bite!
6. Oliebollen: round Dutch doughnuts
Talk about a Dutch winter treat! By custom, oliebollen are meant to be served on New Year’s Eve. However, come December, you’ll already find several oliebollen stalls popping up.
The literal translation of oliebollen (“oil balls”) definitely doesn’t do justice to these delicious deep-fried balls of dough!
Fun fact: if you add raisins or currants to the good old oliebol, you get the krentenbol! For maximum deliciousness, eat these with powdered sugar and your bare hands.
Tip: Don’t have any human interaction before wiping your face, nose, shoulder, and scarf thoroughly. The powdered sugar is notoriously difficult to dust off once you’ve managed to get it all over you. (Been there, done that!)
7. Kruidnoten & pepernoten: mini spice cookies
Pepernoten, which literally translates into “pepper nuts”, is another Dutch Sinterklaas and Kerstmis (Christmas) tradition.
With a hint of spice and loads of crunch, these have got me hooked since the day I first tried them. I prefer the ones covered with chocolate, but you can find a crazy variety of flavours, from cappuccino to tajine.
READ MORE | What happens during Christmas in the Netherlands? A guide to the winter holidays
An old Dutch custom is to throw handfuls of pepernoten for the children to find — and now I know why children are so excited to eat them off the floor!
Tip: To get in the complete holiday spirit, have these with chocolate letters that pop up for Sinterklaas!
8. Kapsalon: the Dutch version of loaded fries
The Dutch kapsalon is a recent invention. Created in 2003 in Rotterdam, the dish consists of french fries topped with shawarma and layers of Gouda cheese.
This is then heated in an oven until the cheese becomes a beautiful oozy mess — all in a disposable takeaway box. Top it with a layer of shredded lettuce, garlic sauce and sambal, and you’re good to go!
Fun fact: Kapsalon in Dutch means “hairdressing salon”, referring to one of the inventors of the dish who was a hairdresser. (Talk about a killer cut!)
Tip: Order a kapsalon to finish a great night of beers (although you may not remember it in the morning).
9. Bread with peanut butter and sambal
Google or Wikipedia can’t reveal this secret to you — you have to be friends with Dutchies. 🤫 Let me introduce you to the amazing combination of sambal and pindakaas (peanut butter)!
Sambal is a spicy chilli paste of Indonesian origin that made its way to Holland through the Javanese and Surinamese populations, and peanut butter is well… peanut butter.
READ MORE | What’s on that ‘boterham’? — 6 weird Dutch bread toppings
Take a piece of bread, coat it well with peanut butter and top it with sambal and voila! You have a slice of heaven.
Tip: The order matters — always put the peanut butter first, followed by the sambal.
10. Hagelslag: decadent chocolate sprinkles
Don’t get confused if your boss gifts this to you on your first day (like I was). Instead, say hi to a Dutch tradition!
Hagelslag is Dutchies’ answer to sprinkles — only these are nothing like traditional sprinkles. They also come in different varieties, with chocolate, fruit, and aniseed being the most popular.
You would normally associate sprinkles with children, but not in the Netherlands. Here, it’s normal for adults to eat this for breakfast or lunch.
Grab a Dutch beschuit (twice-baked round toast), add some butter (so that the sprinkles stick) and sprinkle on some hagelslag.
Tip: Know a Dutchie with a newborn? Gift them some muisjes, the cousin of hagelslag, in either pink (for a girl) or blue (for a boy)! It’s a Dutch tradition to serve beschuit met muisjes (aniseed sprinkles on hard rusks) when someone has a baby.
11. Stamppot: classic Dutch comfort food
You can’t get more Dutch than stamppot!
Having originated sometime in the 1600s, stamppot is a dish steeped in tradition. Also known as the “winter dish”, stamppot is made from potatoes mashed with one or several vegetables.
True to Dutch form, you can have several variants here as well.
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There’s andijviestamppot (endive mashed with potatoes), zuurkoolstamppot (sauerkraut mashed with potatoes), boerenkoolstamppot (cabbage mixed with mashed potatoes)…the list is endless!
Tip: Order some hot stamppot with the traditional rookworst. What’s rookworst? Keep reading!
12. Rookworst: smoked horseshoe sausage
A rookworst, or smoked sausage, is made by mixing ground meat with spices and salt and then stuffing it into a casing. The butcher then smokes it in a smoke cabinet, ensuring the shelf life of the sausage and giving it its classic taste.
The end result? A horseshoe-shaped sausage with a golden brown hue.
There are two types of rookworst: Gelderse and raw. The Gelderse is pre-cooked and sold vacuum-packed, so it can simply be reheated for consumption, whilst the raw variety should always be cooked.
Rookworsten are best served with a piping hot dish of stamppot!
Tip: Try the HEMA rookworst — it’s surprisingly delicious!
13. Tompouce: the Dutch mille-feuille
The tompouce or tompoes is a rectangular desert, with sweet pastry cream sandwiched between two layers of puff pastry and topped with pink icing.
The tompouce is not an easy dessert to conquer, however. It’s even inspired several amusing articles on “Hoe eet je een tompoes?” (How do you eat a tompoes?)
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Usually served with koffie or thee, the pastry was created by a baker from Amsterdam whose inspiration was a dwarf from an American circus visiting the Netherlands between 1844 and 1845!
Tip: Make sure to try the tompouce on King’s Day or when the Dutch national team participates in the European Championship or World Cup — the top layer becomes orange.
What’s your favourite Dutch food dish? Let us know in the comments below!
Hey thanks man! I will be visiting Netherlands soon and all of this is surely going to the list.
Holland awaits!
You also forgot, boterkoek, Nasi Goreng, and sate, raw herring is called “groene hearing” in Dutch. Served with finely chopped onions.
…and rollmops, a rolled up fillet of herring with a long pickle slice and sliced onion inside, held together with a toothpick…
Food takes my attention only when it is indian and as much as i want to try different cuisines i end up liking what i have always been eating more. But the way this post has been written and described i feel how i haven’t experienced so many different flavours of different countries
I really wanna try dutch delicacies specially stamppot and tompouce
Thank you for your comments! 🙂
It is definitely worthwhile to try the stamppot and tompouce
Tompouce, scrumptious little desert. Would love to have it.??
It is a very good dessert indeed!
Hagelslag has me intrigued. Great article!
Thank you!
You can make a simple sandwich with “hagelkaas”, preferably on white bread, peanut butter with chocolate sprinkles, wit brood met Pindakaas en hagelslag.
Or a white sandwich with butter, granulated sugar and speculaas , simple, delicious and worth trying.
They are the the best memories from my youth
Can Siri order those for us ?
Maybe if you ask her in Dutch 🙂
I couldn’t imagine it would be such a big list. It’s good to know I have some unknown (to me) dutch foods yet to try!
Holland’s cuisine is full of exciting secrets!
Bosch bollen and Soesje would be on my list for sure.
Raw harring as well for the more adventurous.
Raw herring is surely an adventure!
I am an American of West Frysian ancestry. I visited the Netherlands for the first time in 1997 & lived in Amsterdam for over a year. I became acquainted with both Indonesian & Suriminese food during that time. Those became my favorite types of cuisine while there & I miss them as I haven’t found them here in the USA. I miss them & the Dutch people.
I relate to you. I have been here for almost a year now and I’m quite attached to the Dutch food, people and culture 🙂
Rabbit is spelled ‘knieng’ in Limburgs’ plat (Kirchroasj Ripuarisj). Born there and fluent in the language… Another favorite ‘kermis’ food is smoked eel, gerookte paling, gutted and smoked but with the head attached, served in recycled newspapers 😉 Peel and eat its sweet flesh like corn on the cobb 😉
Glad you liked my heimat. Jrus.
If you have a Dutch import store or delicatessen in town, they sell spice packages of Nasi and bami Goreng. just cook your rice and add the spices it is made by Conimex.
Zuur vlees. Only in Limburg. Beef, or horsemeat stewed in a sauce made from vinigar, Apple sirop and peperkoek. Also very goed made with rabbit. Konijn in dutch, kinnine in Limburgs dialect.
Sounds interesting – I will surely try these!
Beautifully written , thanks for sharing this.
Thank you! 🙂
Great article!! Going to cross off each one on my list, so excited!
Thank you! 🙂
Where are the haring (raw herring) and erwtensoep (pea soup, with Hema-sausage, of course!)? Those would def be on my list, as would be drop (liquorice), some of my African friends abroad were nearly fighting over the sweet ones!
I’m not done exploring the cuisine, expect a version 2 of this list soon! 🙂
Snehal congrats for your First article to be published here..! You have written very well and I wish you write many more wonderful articles and they get published too. Your description was mouth watering, felt like I was already tasting them, i have become a fan of your writing😊. Wish some day i would meet you and get a selfie, before you get very famous. All the very best 👍🏻 keep writing.
Thank you for your kind words!
My favorite has to be HUZARENSALADA.
Google it and see the quirky hisory.
I like mine with underdone beef.
Will do!
Wow. This is all the info I needed summarised in one article.
thank you! 🙂
Where is the mighty frikandelbroodje!!!
Will be featured in the next food adventure!
Delightful piece.
Also, quite amused to see all Dutch food items in one article so I can send it to people who ask me about it.
Thanks Snehal!
Glad to hear that! 😀
Now I know what to have in Netherlands as soon as land, whenever I do :p
Thanks!
Rollade. Seasoned at the butcher’s shop. Can be pork or beef or both together, but I like the pork best. Especially with potatoes and endive.
What about a frikandel with mayo? Or with onion, mayo and curry
After eating a variety of spiced or sauced meals for over a year my Dutch partner has today confessed that he prefers Dutch cuisine…..which translates as plain, unspiced, no sauce, less meat. Also a request… would I not cook the broccoli stems (diced and spiced) as that part is thrown away here! Throwing out my world recipe collection, it’s now obsolete. 😐
A few more delicacies:
1. Appelbol, fresh apple (preferably “goudreinet”, golden rennet) with (maple) syrup and cinnamon inside puff pastry, served warm, preferably to be bought in real bakery (warme bakker)
2. Chocolade bol, as the name implies
3. Nasi goreng and rice table (rijsttafel), in general genuine Indonesian food, as distinguished from Chinese or other Asian food.
4. Sausijzenbroodje (Sausage bun), definitely different from an ordinary hot dog, characteristic puff pastry, only to be bought in a real bakery (warme bakker)
My husband is Dutch. I make Dutch meatballs for him. Basically they are large meatballs (think double or triple size of regular meatballs) with finely chopped onions and nutmeg salt and pepper mixed with hamburger and ground pork. The Dutch table has a web site (Dutchtable.com) where you can find recipes for croquettan, bitterballen, olliebollen etc. Dutch people love Indonesian food. My husband likes the Singapore mei fun from Chinese restaurant. And for breakfast he eats bread with butter and chocolate sprinkles. He likes German food like Wiener schnitzel and brats. Dutch people have a love affair with French fries for sure.
My favorite dishes my parents (both) made were pataten met sla, and lever met zuure saus. Pataten met sla is called stamppot, or hot Dutch potato salad, and lever met zuure saus, is liver with sour gravy. The liver dish was so good we always ate every bite and every drop of gravy was smeared up with bread. Nothing even similar to what Americans call liver and onions, which is deservedly disliked by many. Both dishes use vinegar. I learned how to make pataten met sla from memory but I never figured out how to make the liver dish. My Mother never used a recipe and I asked how she made the liver. She said you used liver, flour and vinegar. I asked how much, and when and how? She said “you just have to know”. She was in her 80s by then and that was all I got. The liver dish has not been reproduced, even by cousins in Blg who tried. Anyone who knows how it’s done, please share.
Pindakaas en sambal? Never heard of it, no one I know or knew would eat that combination.
I was in Amsterdam and Leiden in September. My favorite discovery were the cheese sticks with chili dipping sauce. Those wonton wrapped fried Gouda cheese sticks were so delicious! I’ve bought the ingredients to make at home.