Dutch cuisine ranks as 32nd best in the world (and we’re not surprised)

The Dutch are a worldwide famous nation, but let’s be honest here. Not for their food.

Every year, Tasteatles ranks the best cuisines from around the world, suggesting the signature dishes that you have to try while visiting. 

And where has Dutch cuisine landed this nation in the food world ranking? A pleasantly surprising 32nd place. 

Listen, we have other skills 

The Netherlands is one of the smallest countries in Europe, still, almost everyone around the world knows of it. People from different continents immediately start to list their fun facts on tulips, weed and wooden shoes

But when it comes to food, people have no idea what Dutch cuisine looks like, and that’s for a reason. 

READ MORE: Your guide to all the ‘lekker’ Dutch festive food and drinks you can enjoy (guilt free) this holiday season

Visiting the Netherlands is not the best gastronomical journey that you can think of — that being said, there are some foods that have helped us land in the top 50. 

Desserts and snacks 

While other countries are in the ring with complex dishes that describe their culture and identity, the Dutchies are taking it easy when it comes to their recipes. 

picture-of-a-person-holding-stroopwafel-with-windmills-in-background
Let’s have stroopwafel for lunch! Image: Depositphotos

We all love to have a good dessert or some snack, but we try to eat them around our main courses. But the people of the Netherlands have a different way of thinking. They prefer to finesse the lekker stuff. 

READ MORE: 7 Dutch foods you need to try before you die

They are (rightly) proud of their apple pie, krokets and stroopwafel, and we can see that reflected in the list of their best foods as well. 

Here are their 10 most famous Dutch dishes, according to Tasteatlas

  • Appeltaart
  • Kroket
  • Stamppot
  • Stroopwafel
  • Kapsalon
  • Poffertjes
  • Speculaas
  • Pannekoek
  • Kibbeling
  • Vlaai

And y’know what, we have to say we agree! These dess— we mean dishes, are delicious. We’ll take 32nd as a win in our books. 

What is your favourite Dutch dish? Tell us in the comments!

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Mihály Droppa
Mihály Droppa
Mihály fell in love with (and in) Amsterdam, so he quit his NGO job in Budapest and moved to Amsterdam to become a journalist. His apartment is full of plants and books, two dogs, and a random mouse in the kitchen. You might find him in Vondelpark, where he spends most of his life throwing tennis balls for his vizslas and listening to podcasts. His nickname is Mex — ask him why!

6 COMMENTS

    • It’s been at least ten years since I ate some herring at the market in The Hague. It was unforgettable. Just thinking about it makes me feel like Pavlov’s guinea pig. Another time, I wandered into a shop that sold only cheese. The shopkeeper asked me what I wanted, but I couldn’t tell because there was such a large selection. The shopkeeper then, gave me a tasting of some cheese. They were very different from each other, but all very good. I also really liked the fact that while I was very annoyed that I was holding up the vendor, the other customers were not only calm, but even made suggestions on what other cheeses to give me a tasting of.

  1. My favorites are absolutely Albert Heijns Prepared Foods such as Penne alla Carbonara. They’re so well-balanced, containing fresh champignons and “whatcanbeservedasfreshandcooked”. Délicate flavours and reasonably priced.
    You don’t find them anywhere else.

    • As a Dutch-Italian, reading your comment made my ancestors turn in their graves, yes even the Dutch ones 😂.
      Carbonara should be made on the spot, minutes before eating… and only contain champignons, or cream, if they fell in the pot by accident.
      Not disputing your tastes, we all like what we like. I just wish people stopped calling that a carbonara.. It’s as much a carbonara as if I made a peach cobbler and called it appeltaart. If you are in Albert Heijn and hear swearing in Italian, it’s most likely a tourist or a new expat who have found the ready made carbonara on the shelf and give the only proper reaction to it.

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