Traditional Dutch recipes. While foods in their diet are somewhat similar, there are some great recipes & foods you will enjoy. Read this article to see what you might like to try that will be a little out of the ordinary.
Dutch food culture is more than pancakes and cheese, though these are a couple of the most well-known dishes you can find here.
The Netherlands offers a culinary experience unlike any other because of its diverse history, with all the cultures that have impacted Dutch cuisine living in relative proximity to one another.
If you’re a tourist and you want to explore the best Dutch food, check out our list of different types of Dutch food!
10 Best Traditional Dutch Recipes From Holland
1. Creamy Advocaat Liqueur – Dutch Dishes
Creamy Advocaat Liqueur is a traditional Dutch drink known for its rich and velvety texture. This recipe combines egg yolks, sugar, and brandy or rum to create a smooth and indulgent liqueur. The mixture is gently heated and whisked until thickened, resulting in a creamy custard-like consistency. Creamy Advocaat Liqueur is often enjoyed on its own as a digestif or used as a decadent topping for desserts. Its luxurious taste and creamy texture make it a beloved treat in Dutch cuisine.
2. Hachee Stew – Traditional Dutch Recipes
Hachee Stew is a hearty and flavorful Dutch dish that combines tender beef, onions, and a rich gravy. This traditional recipe involves slow-cooking beef in a mixture of onions, vinegar, and spices such as cloves and bay leaves. The result is a deliciously tender and savory stew with a sweet and tangy flavor. Hachee Stew is often served with potatoes or noodles, making it a comforting and satisfying meal that showcases the culinary heritage of the Netherlands.
3. Boterkoek (Dutch Butter Cake) – Dutch Food
Boterkoek is a delicious Dutch butter cake known for its rich and buttery flavor. This traditional recipe combines butter, sugar, flour, and a hint of almond extract to create a dense and moist cake. The dough is pressed into a baking pan and then baked until golden brown. Boterkoek is often sliced into squares or wedges and enjoyed with a cup of coffee or tea. Its decadent buttery taste and tender texture make it a beloved treat in Dutch baking.
4. Farmer’s Cheese Soup (boerenkaas soep) – Dutch Dishes
Farmer’s Cheese Soup is a comforting and creamy Dutch dish that features the delicate flavors of cheese and vegetables. This traditional recipe involves cooking a medley of vegetables such as leeks, carrots, and potatoes in a flavorful broth. The soup is then enriched with farmer’s cheese, which adds a creamy and slightly tangy taste. Farmer’s Cheese Soup is often garnished with fresh herbs and served with crusty bread, making it a satisfying and nourishing meal that highlights the wholesome flavors of Dutch cuisine.
5. Dutch Baby – Traditional Dutch Recipes
Dutch Baby, also known as a German pancake, is a delightful and puffy breakfast treat with a crispy outer layer and a soft, custard-like interior. This traditional Dutch recipe involves baking a batter made from eggs, flour, milk, and vanilla in a hot oven until it puffs up and forms a golden brown crust. Dutch Baby is often served with powdered sugar, fresh fruit, or a drizzle of maple syrup. Its impressive appearance and delicious taste make it a favorite for brunch or special occasions.
6. Dutch Apple Pie (Appeltaart) – Dutch Food
Dutch Apple Pie is a classic dessert that combines the sweet and tart flavors of apples with a buttery and crumbly crust. This traditional Dutch recipe involves filling a pie crust with a mixture of sliced apples, sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes raisins or currants. The pie is then topped with a layer of buttery crumble made from flour, sugar, and butter. Baked until golden brown and fragrant, Dutch Apple Pie is best served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. It’s a comforting and irresistible dessert that showcases the deliciousness of Dutch baking.
7. Dutch Musterdsoep or Zaanse Mosterdsoep – Dutch Dishes
Dutch Musterdsoep, or Dutch Mustard Soup, is a flavorful and comforting soup with a distinctive tangy taste. This traditional Dutch recipe combines a creamy base of chicken or vegetable broth with mustard, flour, cream, and sometimes bacon or ham. The soup is heated until thickened and seasoned with herbs and spices. Dutch Musterdsoep is often garnished with fresh herbs and served with crusty bread. Its unique combination of creamy and tangy flavors makes it a beloved dish in Dutch cuisine.
8. Stamppot – Traditional Dutch Recipes
Stamppot is a traditional Dutch dish that combines mashed potatoes with vegetables, creating a hearty and flavorful meal. This classic recipe involves boiling potatoes and then mashing them with vegetables such as kale, sauerkraut, or carrots. The dish is often enriched with butter and seasoned with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Stamppot is typically served with a smoked sausage or bacon on top, and sometimes accompanied by pickles or mustard. It’s a comforting and satisfying dish that represents the heart of Dutch cuisine.
9. Asparagus with Vegan Hollandaise Sauce – Dutch Food
Asparagus with Vegan Hollandaise Sauce is a delightful and plant-based twist on the classic dish. This recipe features fresh asparagus spears that are steamed or roasted to perfection and served with a rich and creamy vegan Hollandaise sauce. The sauce is made from ingredients such as cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and plant-based butter. It provides a smooth and velvety texture with a tangy and buttery flavor. Asparagus with Vegan Hollandaise Sauce is a delicious and elegant side dish that celebrates the flavors of spring.
10. Poffertjes or Dutch Mini Pancakes – Dutch Dishes
Poffertjes are delightful Dutch mini pancakes that are fluffy, buttery, and bite-sized. This traditional Dutch recipe involves making a batter with flour, yeast, milk, and eggs, which is then poured into a special poffertjes pan with small, shallow indentations. The pancakes are cooked until golden brown and puffed up, resulting in a soft and pillowy texture. Poffertjes are typically served with a dusting of powdered sugar and a pat of butter, making them a beloved treat in Dutch cuisine, especially during festivals and special occasions.
History of Dutch Food
Dutch cuisine like other European Cuisine is a product that has been formed based primarily on available products. Much of it has been shaped by its great availability to seafood products and local farming to a lesser degree. Dutch food has also been shaped by the earlier times when they were a larger seafaring nation both colonizing other areas and bringing back spices to the Netherlands. Since most of the former traditional Dutch Recipes were plain this was a happy change for them.
Most traditional Dutch Recipes are simple “Meat and Vegetable” consumers served with bread and wine. The diet also makes use of the abundant types of dairy products, especially cheese. During the 1300s to 1500s when the Dutch were colonizing and exploring the diet began to change and expand. The Dutch East Indies company and its colonies began bringing in more people and recipes from the colonies and the diet became more international.
Dutch Food Today
Traditional Dutch Recipes and Foods are not a well known or frequently used cuisine but that is a pity. Much like England, it is mostly known for its plain, not too flavorful, outcomes, probably because potatoes are the main ingredient and they just do not provide tasty alternatives. Even Vincent van Gogh painted pictures glorifying the use of potatoes in the diet. That being said there are good recipes from Holland and we have enjoyed our trips there. Some of the recipes can be really good and are usually excellent for cold-weather meals. They are hearty and filling. Here are our favorites.
What is Dutch Food?
Food is one of the most effective methods to learn about a place. You may learn about a people’s history, culture, and preferences by looking at what they consume on a daily basis. And, if you’re lucky, the whole thing can be quite tasty. When I first visited the Netherlands, I had no idea what to anticipate in terms of cuisine. All I knew about Dutch food was cheese and beer, which barely scratches the surface of what the country has to offer. Since then, I’ve returned countless times and continue to discover new delicacies to savor.
The Dutch cuisine has a few classic Dutch dishes, however these traditional Dutch foods are hard to come by in restaurants. These are home-cooked meals that Dutch people don’t have to go out to eat. These are, of course, excellent Dutch food recipes to try out so you may learn how to prepare Dutch dishes. Cooking in the Netherlands isn’t difficult. On the other hand, many popular Dutch delicacies are unique goods or snacks that are difficult to find elsewhere. However, attempting to make them can be entertaining! Alternatively, you can hunt for them in a Dutch shop or bring them back from a trip to the Netherlands.
There’s something for every season here, from delicate white asparagus to thick winter pea soup thick enough to stand a spoon in. After spending several years in the Netherlands (or Holland as it is commonly known), I always assumed that Dutch food did not exist. It does have certain traditional Dutch dishes, such as mashed potatoes with kale or endive. But that was the end of it. So I reasoned.
It’s just recently that I’ve become more interested in this country. They also have a number of traditional Dutch delicacies. Aside from the standard terms like ‘andijviestamppot’ and ‘boerenkoolstamppot,’ there are regional variations as well. I hadn’t expected that, given how small the country is.
Dutch Cuisine
Although the Netherlands is not known for a particular cuisine, there are several foods and recipes that are uniquely Dutch. Most Dutch recipes have multiple versions, with ingredients and cooking procedures varying from family to family.
The food of the Netherlands is more diversified and intriguing than you may assume. When it comes to meals or cuisine, the Netherlands isn’t as well-known as its European competitors, such as France or Italy. However, it is still seen as a novel perspective on food culture, and it merits a creative attention. Despite the fact that there are many opposing viewpoints on this cuisine, I am confident that the more you taste it, the more you will like it.
The rich agricultural industries of the Netherlands have dominated Dutch cuisine for centuries. The French had a strong impact on Dutch cuisine in the past, but immigrants from Indonesia, Turkey, North Africa, China, Arabia, and India have also left their imprint.
Dutch cuisine are typically meaty, which is suitable considering the milder climate. Snert or erwtensoep, a thick green soup cooked with split peas, carrots, onions, and celery and stuffed with smoked sausage and bacon pieces, is a traditional specialty. According to legend, the soup is ready to consume when it thickens to the point where a wooden spoon can stand upright in it.
In the Netherlands, seafood is very popular, especially herring, which is available both fresh and pickled. Fresh herring can be purchased from pushcarts on city streets during peak season, and it is also pickled and accessible all year. Another traditional method for curing produce is smoking, which is used for both seafood (smoked eel) and meats (smoked bacon).
Potatoes accompany most main courses, whether boiled, fried, mashed, or roasted, making them a significant ingredient in Dutch cuisine. Stamppot refers to “mashed potatoes with vegetables,” which are frequently paired with carrots. Sauerkraut is a popular side dish prepared from shredded and pickled cabbage that is imported from Germany.
With over 25 different sorts of pancakes, including poffertjes, extremely small pancakes coated with powdered sugar and topped with fresh fruit or sweet syrups, Dutch sweets are known to be more colorful than their savory dishes. Pastries are also popular, and are frequently filled with almond paste, a traditional Dutch ingredient.
Dutch drinks have also made a big effect on a global scale. In the 1700s, the Netherlands had over 700 breweries, and the first Heineken beer was poured in 1873. The Dutch were also responsible for the creation of jenever, a juniper-based straight gin.
FAQs About Dutch Foods and Dutch Dishes
What is in a Classic Dutch Meal?
Aardappel, Vlees, Groenten, or potato, meat, and veggies, is the typical name for a Dutch dinner. Many Dutch households choose for a combination of these basic ingredients rather than a pre-made dish.
What is the Netherlands National Dish?
Stamppot, often called hutspot, is a hearty dish prepared with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and smoked sausages like Dutch Rookworst, Spanish Chorizo, or Polish Kielbasa.
What Makes up a Dutch Breakfast?
Breakfast in the Netherlands might be varied. Bread slices with sweet or savory spreads, as well as muesli and yogurt, are the most prevalent. In the Netherlands, dairy products such as cheese, milk, and eggs are frequently used in the morning meal. Breakfast is, as you presumably know, one of the most important meals of the day. Breakfast meals in the Netherlands may appear basic, but they can provide you with enough energy to last the entire day.
What is a Typical Dutch Lunch?
An individual piece of cold meals, such as sandwiches loaded with slices of meat and Dutch cheese or sweet assortments, is served with milk or juice in a typical Dutch lunch. It appears to be a second breakfast; it’s simple to prepare, pack, and eat.
What is a Typical Dutch Snack?
Bitterballen and kroketten are possibly the most well-known Dutch snacks. They’re made with a cooked meat ragout that’s been deep fried till it’s mushy in the centre and crunchy on the exterior. Bitterballen are round balls, while kroketten are sausage-shaped.
What is a Popular Dutch Pastry?
Banket is produced by encasing an almond paste filling in pastry dough and baking it. With a rich granular filling, the pastry has a porous, airy, and flaky feel. It is most popular during the Christmas season in the Netherlands and in ethnic Dutch communities in the Midwest of the United States.
Is Dutch Food Healthy?
Despite the fact that the Netherlands is better known for its liberal drug laws than for its cuisine, the Dutch diet was voted the healthiest out of 125 countries in an Oxfam analysis that looked at aspects such as food availability, price, food quality, and obesity rates
Do Dutch like Spicy Food?
In the Netherlands, we prefer the polar opposite: we don’t want anything spicy hot and prefer dry and cool weather. That isn’t to say that hot food isn’t tasty; it’s merely a distinction. Sandwiches, bread, butter, some form of deli, and slices, whether it’s sliced meat or cheese, are all on the menu.
The Best Traditional Dutch Foods
Let’s be real about Dutch cuisine. It doesn’t exactly have a stellar reputation around the world. The cuisine of the Netherlands is not comparable to that of the French, Italians, Japanese, or Thai, to name a few, and the Dutch are not famed for their culinary quality or elegance.
It’s also difficult to define what exactly constitutes typical Dutch cuisine. When it comes to typical Dutch food, you might find yourself scratching your head after naming cheese and pancakes (which aren’t exactly entirely Dutch food specialties anyhow), and they aren’t exactly substantial meals (though I’m sure some people would disagree!).
So I decided to write this post sharing some truly delectable Dutch food recipes in order to give you a tasty overview of how many traditional Dutch foods you may or may not be familiar with, and how many of them are worth seeking out during your visit to Amsterdam or the Netherlands, or even while you’re still at home.
Warm, stodgy, meaty meals come to mind when I think of classic savory Dutch cuisine. When the autumn and winter seasons arrive, I adore living in the Netherlands because the cuisine fills me up and keeps me warm. And these are the top classic Dutch foods you should try whether you’re in the Netherlands or at home.
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