Traveling to: The Netherlands - By Caio Costa D'Avila

 It is true that typical Dutch food is not at the top of the list of the most sophisticated cuisine in the world. However, some dishes are very interesting and worth trying!

If you are thinking of including a gastronomic itinerary in a trip through Europe, countries like France, Italy, Portugal and Spain will probably be strong candidates for it.

While Holland will possibly be remembered for other reasons: the flowery parks, the windmills, the clogs…

And if we go to the side of the senses (or sensations), a certain plant will be the highlight of the trip.

But Holland is much more than the land of tulips or coffee shops. And taking a tour of its gastronomy and tasting typical dishes of its cuisine can be a pleasant and surprising experience from the most harmless and unusual dishes to those that will require a little more “determination” to try.

After all, what is typical Dutch food?

But, just to open your appetite, here's a list of the (weird) names of traditional foods you'll find in Holland:

1. Bitterballen

2. Kroket

3. Frikandel

4. Patat

5. Kibbeling

6. Haring

7. Rookworst

8. Pannenkoek

9. Stamppot

10. Erwtensoep

11. Stroopwafel

12. Poffertjes

13. Appeltaart

14. Hagelslag

15. Pindakaas

16. Kaas

What are the typical Dutch desserts?

 Before talking about the typical Dutch desserts, it must be said that they are neither too sugary nor based on condensed milk or cream, like the Brazilian ones.

I think the most traditional Dutch dessert is, without a doubt, the stroopwafel. Walking through the streets of a large center on a weekend is sure to feel the smell of its preparation from afar!

It is a thin biscuit (or is it a waffle?), cut in half and filled with caramel. It is served warm and makes your mouth water just thinking about it!

Facts about eating habits in the Netherlands

One thing that fascinates me is that the way people eat says a lot about their culture.

After all, eating is much more than a physiological need, just as preparing meals also has a symbolic value, a sentimental side, an interaction, that is, a whole social context.

So, something that always amazed me in Holland was the fact that those huge people eat so little and stay on their feet! This is because either we Brazilians eat too much, or they eat too little!

But jokes aside, my perception is that the Dutch, in general, have very restrained eating habits. As a rule, the portions are not large and not very varied.

Protein is always the smallest portion of the dish, as it is often the most expensive item. Thus, meat packaging in supermarkets is already prepared in order to avoid waste. Normally, people buy one stuck (piece) per person.

And while vegetables tend to be more affordable, the portion is also often small. And finally, the carbohydrate is usually the potato.

The dish comes to the table ready. There is not that "repeat scheme".

Another feature of Dutch culture is that dinner is very early. Usually, people have dinner between 5:30 pm and 7:00 pm.

That's why it's so difficult to find a restaurant with an open kitchen after 9 pm, even in the big cities. The most common thing is that you can only drink after that time.

Some establishments work later, as is the case of fast food chains. However, traditional Dutch food restaurants do not usually serve meals after 22:00.