10 typical Dutch foods and where to try them
The cuisine of the Netherlands is classic comfort food. Think great orbs of cheese, deep fried fish, piled-high pancakes, sticky patisserie, and bar snacks designed to be paired with beer and you’ve got this country on a plate.
Here are 10 dishes you can’t miss on a trip.
Bitterballen
These ping pong ball-sized snacks can be found on bar menus across Holland and amongst the list of starters in many traditional restaurants. Similar in style to a French croquette, they’re made by rolling a meat-laced roux mixture into spheres, before breading and deep frying them. They’re simultaneously crispy and creamy and pair perfectly with a cold beer.
Where to try:
You don’t have to look hard to find bitterballen on menus in the Netherlands. Of all the bitterballen places in the country, Bitterballen Amsterdam (Buiten Brouwersstraat 19H, 1013 GJ Amsterdam. Tel: +31 20 779 7425. Web: bitterballenamsterdam.com) takes the snack most seriously. The restaurant exclusively serves bitterballen, bubbles, and beer.
Gouda cheese
Named after the city of Gouda, where Le Boat customers can moor, this cows’ milk cheese is one of the most popular in the world, let alone the Netherlands. While a lot of Gouda is now industrially produced, the countryside around Gouda city (known as the Krimpenerwaard) is dotted with independent makers who create ‘farmhouse’ cheeses and it’s these that you’ll want to try. They’re creamy and nutty with a gentle tang and – depending on the age – a hint of caramel.
Where to try:
For the full Gouda experience, you’ll want to visit Gouda city itself (for more details see our Holland travel guide). Start by learning all about the cheese at the interactive museum The Gouda Cheese Experience (Agnietenstraat 21, 2801 GZ Gouda. Tel: +31 182 787 934. Web: goudacheese-experience.com) A visit includes a tasting of five cheeses and, in case that’s not enough, there’s a café onsite that serves cheese platters and a selection of cheese sandwiches. The Kaasbar (Markt 5, 2801 JG Gouda. Tel: +31 182 523 530. Web: kaasbargouda.nl), on Gouda’s main square, meanwhile, is a shrine to Gouda cheese. Its menu features everything from cheese soup to fondue and its adjoining shop sells dozens of different types of gouda including truffle, beer, and lavender varieties.
Boating itinerary idea:
If you’ve rented bikes with Le Boat, you can follow the Cow Cheese cycle route into the Krimpenerwaard. The complete loop covers 50 kilometres and takes three hours, passing traditional cheese producers like Cheesefarm Hoogerwaard and Schep, which welcome visitors.
Weespermoppen
These bite-sized pastries are unique to the town of Weesp, where Le Boat customers can easily moor. They’re made from almond paste, egg yolk, and sugar, then baked, and served with a dusting of sugar.
Where to try:
The white-fronted Patisserie en Chocolaterie Hendriks (Slijkstraat 16a, 1381 BA Weesp. Tel:+31 294 745 020. Web: patisseriehendriks.nl) in the centre of Weesp sells freshly made weespermoppen alongside macarons, pastries, and truffles.
To try weespermoppen in liquid form, head to the town’s brewery come distillery, Wispe Brewery (Herengracht 16, 1382 AE Weesp. Tel: +31 294 785 587. Web: wispe.com), which makes its own weespermoppen liqueur and mixes it up with the likes of lemon juice and angostura bitters to create craft cocktails.
Stroopwafel
Shaped like coffee coasters, stroopwafels are made by sandwiching a layer of syrup – made from brown sugar and cinnamon – between two thin, waffle-textured, wafers. Said to have been invented in Gouda in 1810, they’re now sold all over the Netherlands. They’re sticky as glue, extra-sweet, and especially good with coffee.
Where to try:
Stroopwafel superfans can learn more about how the treat is made at the Kamphuisen Stroopwafel (Markt 69, 2801 JM Gouda. Tel: +31 182 634 965. Web: syrupwafflefactory.com) factory on Gouda’s main square. Visitors get the chance to knead the waffle dough and taste-test the syrup in this hour-long experience. The shop at the front of the factory, meanwhile, sells multipacks, gift boxes, and even stroopwafel-flavoured liqueur.
In Amsterdam, several of the street food stalls at Albert Cuyp Street market (read the full Amsterdam guide) sell hot stroopwafels while Van Wonderen (Kalverstraat 190, 1012 XH Amsterdam. Web: vanwonderen.co) in The Nine Streets offer artisan varieties, half dipped in chocolate and bejeweled with treats like Smarties, marshmallows, salted caramel fudge and nuts.
Kibbeling
Kibbeling is Holland’s answer to British fish ‘n chips. Only the fried fish in this dish is served in bite-sized parcels. It’s often served with a pot of tartare sauce or garlic mayonnaise on the side and a wedge of lemon.
Where to try:
There are scores of kibbeling stalls at Albert Cuyp Street market, in Amsterdam, serving the dish alongside other fish recipes like lekkerbekje (fried fish fillets) and herring sandwiches.
Proffertjes
Made from buckwheat flour and yeast, Poffertjes are mini pancakes. They’re most commonly served sweet, with a dusting of sugar, but savoury varieties can sometimes be found on menus, too.
Where to try:
Founded in 1840, Pannenkoe (Karnemelksloot 1, 2806 BA Gouda. Tel: +31 182 512 115. Web: pannenkoe.nl/gouda) is one of the oldest pancake restaurants in the Netherlands. At the restaurant in Gouda, visitors can watch as these plump pillows of dough are made on an antique copper griddle. There are more than 20 varieties of speciality poffertjes on the menu here. Options include apple caramel and sea salt; chocolate, almond and coconut; olive, cheese, salami and bacon; and chicken satay with prawn crackers.
Oliebollen
Similar to a doughnut, oliebollen – or ‘oil balls’ – are sweet, fried balls of dough. Traditionally, they’re a New Year snack, but they’re now sold year-round by bakeries and street food stalls across the Netherlands.
Where to try:
Every year, the foodies at the Oliebollen Test taste their way around the oliebollen producers of the Netherlands to pick out the best. The Boalsert Bakery streetfood stand in Bolsward (Snekerstraat. Tel: +31 6 23560660) – which Le Boat customers can visit on a Friesland trip – is a regular winner. As well as serving traditional oliebollen, it makes artisan varieties with toppings like Kinder Bueno and Oreo.
Edam cheese
This semi-hard cows’ milk cheese has been produced in Holland since the 15 th century. Often wrapped in a coat of red wax, it’s butter-coloured and has a subtle nutty taste.
Where to try:
The city of Edam, where Le Boat passengers can moor, is undoubtably the best place to try its namesake cheese. At The Story of Edam museum (Spui 9, 1135 BA Edam. Tel: +31 299 783 230. Web: henriwillig.com), visitors can find out all about the history of the cheese and how it’s made before getting stuck into some cheese tasting. Visit on a Wednesday and you can see the cheese market in action, too. Alternatively, Geithoorn – which Le Boat customers can visit on a Friesland trip – has a restaurant dedicated to cheese called The Grand Café by cheesemaker Henri Willig. Henri Willig also offers cheese-tasting boat tours in Geithoorn on which one of the options is a Picasso cheese board, inspired by the painter’s talent for colour.
Hangop
Thick and creamy, hangop is a little like Greek yoghurt. It can be showered with fruit, nuts, and honey and eaten for breakfast or loaded with fruit compote and savoured as a dessert.
Where to try:
At Bourgondië Cookery School (Dannestraat 10, 3621 AE Breukelen. Tel: +31 647 412 060. Web: bourgondie.com) in Breukelen, where Le Boat customers can moor, visitors can learn to cook a three course ‘pure Dutch’ menu using produce like hangop, Frisian clove cheese, Rinse apple syrup, and Zaanse mustard.
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