Dutch Quirk #137: Eat fried snacks off a table wrapped in clingfilm

Ahh, lazy evenings in and Dutch snack food — truly a love story better than Twilight. 😍🍟

And d’you know what else is better than Twilight? Enjoying a good friettafel! 😋

What is it?

A compound made up of the words friet (chips) and tafel (table), a friettafel refers to a clingfilm or aluminium foil-wrapped table laden with fried snacks.

Popular additions include chips (no surprises there!), frikandellen, kaassouffles, kroketten, and heaps of sauces.

Why do they do it?

As supermarket chain Aldi so eloquently put it: “It’s easy to make, takes little effort, and you hardly have to do any dishes afterwards.”

READ MORE | What your favourite Dutch FEBO snack says about you

In other words, it’s a fab meal option if you’re having friends over and don’t particularly fancy slaving over the stove to whip something up.

However, I wouldn’t necessarily assume that partaking in friettafelen is as common as wearing orange in the Netherlands.

(So rest assured, Dutch people who’ve never heard of a friettafel or hate the idea of it, we internationals don’t think you ALL love eating chips off a clingfilm-wrapped table. 😉)

Why is it quirky?

Proving that being quirky isn’t necessarily a bad thing, a friettafel is unashamed in its simplicity.

If you’re the sort who feels awkward without a plate or cutlery at mealtimes, this quirk will definitely take some getting used to.

Should you join in?

Oh, absolutely!

Take a seat, roll up your sleeves, and help yourself to one of the most fun Dutch food quirks.

If you’re dying to prepare your own friettafel, here’s a handy list of things you’ll likely need! 👇

What do you think of this Dutch quirk? Have you experienced it? Tell us in the comments below!