Dutch cuisine is formed from thecooking traditions and practices of theNetherlands. The country's cuisine is shaped by its location on the fertileRhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta at theNorth Sea, giving rise tofishing,farming, and overseas trade. Due to the availability of water and flat grassland, the Dutch diet contains many dairy products such asbutter andcheese. The court of theBurgundian Netherlands enriched the cuisine of the elite in theLow Countries in the 15th and 16th century,[1] so did in the 17th and 18th century colonial trade, when the Dutch ruled thespice trade, played a pivotal role in the global spread ofcoffee, and started the modern era ofchocolate, by developing theDutch process chocolate.[2]
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Dutch food and food production became designed to be efficient,[3] which was so successful that the country became the world's second-largest exporter of agricultural products by value behind the United States.[4] It gave the Dutch the reputation of being the feeders of the world, but Dutch food, such asstamppot, of having a bland taste.[3] However, influenced by the eating culture of its colonies (particularly theIndonesian cuisine), and later byglobalization, there is a renewed focus on taste, which is also reflected in the 119 Michelin star restaurants in the country.[5]
Dutch cuisine can traditionally be divided in three regions. The northeast of the country is known for its meats and sausages (rookworst,metworst) and heavyrye bread, the west for fish (smoked eel,soused herring,kibbeling,mussels), spirits (jenever) and dairy based products (stroopwafel,boerenkaas), and the south for stews (hachee), fruit products and pastry (Limburgse vlaai,apple butter,bossche bol). A peculiar characteristic for Dutch breakfast and lunch is the sweet bread toppings such ashagelslag,vlokken, andmuisjes, and the Dutch are the highest consumers of liquorice in the world.[6]
Early cookbooks for the elite picture a homogeneous food culture across Europe.[7] Differences were in the use of what was locally available; milk and butter—from the low-lying grasslands ofHolland andFriesland—were used in the Netherlands, in comparison to bacon fat used in German countries and England, and oil in Southern Europe. Dutch butter and cheese continued to be famous products for centuries.[8] The common people ate half-liquidbrij orporridge,potage (consisting of root vegetables, peas, herbs, meat and fish) andsoppe (vegetable/meat/fish paste, thickened with bread).[8]Beer flavoured withgruit was the common drink as water was of poor quality,[9] and was produced until the 14th century at the monasteries. The replacement of gruit forhop, a German innovation, extended shelf life, turning the Low Counties into a major beer exporter. It still is the largest beer exporter of Europe.[10]Brand, established in 1349, is the country's oldest beer brand.
In the 14th centurygibbing was invented byWillem Beukelszoon,[11] extending the shelf life of herring, making it possible to sail further and catch more. It created a booming export industry for and a monopoly insoused herring (Dutch:maatjesharing), and sat the foundation for the later seafaring and colonialDutch Empire.[12] The Dutch still celebrateVlaggetjesdag (Flag Day) each spring, when fishermen go out to sea to capture the annual herring catch:Hollandse Nieuwe.[13]
Vegetable Gardens were used by monasteries and later by castles for their own kitchens.Keukenhof (literallykitchen garden, but now a flower park) is such an example. Orchards for pears and apples connected to castles were later used for export and set off a Dutchhorticulture tradition that remains to this day.[8] In the castles, which have hunting grounds as well,haute cuisine began to emerge, and in 1510, the first Dutch-language cook book, aimed at the upper class, was printed in Brussels, calledEen notabel boecxken van cokeryen (A notable book of cookery).[14] It offers recipes for festivities, such as sauces, game, jellies, fish, meat, pies, eggs, dairy products, candied quinces and ginger, and contains one of the world's oldest known recipes forappeltaerten,apple pie. The recipes come from various sources, such as the French recipe bookLe Viandier,[14] reflecting the close ties between Dutch cuisine and the northernFrench cuisine, as the whole region was part of theBurgundian Netherlands, with a glamorous court life and lavish feasts. Traditional Dutch restaurants from the south are still referred to asBourgondisch, alluding to the luxurious meals of yesteryear.[8]
As theDutch Republic enteredits Golden Age, lavish dishes became available to the wealthy middle class as well. TheDutch East India Company monopolised the trade innutmeg,clove,mace andcinnamon,[15] provided in 1661 more than half of the refined sugar consumed in Europe,[16] and was the first to importcoffee on a large scale to Europe, popularising the concept ofcoffee houses for the masses.[17][18] Apart from coffee,tea became a daily commodity, which was served with candy, marzipan and cookies. The availability of cheaper spices resulted in a tradition of spiced cookies, calledspeculaas.[19]
Initially spices were used to indicate social status, but this disappeared with the influx of spices in Dutch market, and it was the elite who were the first to ban the frequent use of spices. The cookbookDe Verstandige Kok (orThe Reasonable Chef), published in 1667, reflects this, and further more shows that meal started with green salads and cold or warm cooked vegetables with dressing, butter, herbs or edible flowers, and continued with numerous fish and meat dishes, including exotic ingredients such asdates,rice,cinnamon,ginger andsaffron. Savoury tarts and pastries followed, and the meal ended with jellies, cheese, nuts and sweet pastries, washed down withhippocras, a sweet spiced wine.[20] But in the Golden Age, the everyday meal of the ordinary Dutchman was still a humble affair of grain or legume pottage served withrye.[21]
In the early 19th century, the staple for the working population, that suffered from some form of malnutrition,[22] was bread (rye bread in some areas) and potato (introduced from South America),[22] pancakes, occasionallyherring and other fish, fruit, vegetables, and little meat. They drank water of poor quality, watery coffee (orchicory) or tea. In some areas hot chocolate was consumed, but the most popular drinks werebeer (predominantly in the Catholic south) andjenever, of which the consumption was twice that of the equivalent consumption of distilled spirits in neighbouring countries.[22]
In the 20th century, the availability ofmass education meant that girls could be sent to theHuishoudschool (housekeeping school), that teach them to cook cheap and simple meals, leading to an increased uniform and plain look of the Dutch diet. However, Initially influenced by the eating culture of its colonies (particularly theIndonesian cuisine), and later byglobalization, the diet changed significantly, and becamecosmopolitan. Most international cuisines are represented in themajor cities and there is a renewed interest in taste, which is reflected in the 119 Michelin star restaurants in the country.[5]
Dutch agriculture roughly consists of five sectors:greenhouse-based,tillage-based, fruit agriculture,animal husbandry andfishery.
Many food origins can be traced back to one of the three general regional forms of Dutch cuisine.[25] Some agricultural products and foodstuffs from these regions are protected by EU law asProtected designation of origin, likejenever,Noord-Hollandse Gouda, andkanterkaas (cumin cheese and clove cheese),Traditional speciality guaranteed, likeboerenkaas (farmer's cheese) andHollandse nieuwe (soused herring), and the less strict variant ofProtected geographical indication, likeEdam Holland andLimburgse vlaai.
Western Dutch cuisine is found in the provinces ofNorth Holland,South Holland,Zeeland,Utrecht and theGelderlandic region ofBetuwe. Due to the abundance of flat grassland and accessible freshwater sources, this region is ideal for raising cattle and is known for its many dairy products. Historically, the direct access to the sea made fish readily available, as well as spices, coffee, chocolate and sugar shipped from the overseas colonies.
The butter produced by Zeeland and South Holland contains a larger amount ofmilkfat than most other European varieties, resulting in a regional cuisine with a wide variety of rich, buttery flavoured pastry. Cookies of all sorts are produced in great number and tend to contain much butter and sugar. Thestroopwafel is well known, as are cookies with a filling of some kind, mostly almond, likegevulde koek. Pastries in this area also tend to be quite doughy and to contain large amounts of sugar, either caramelised, powdered or crystallised. Theoliebol (in its modern form) andZeeuwse bolus are good examples.Duivekater is a moist doughy white bread from theZaanstreek in North Holland which is eaten with butter; the recipe goes back hundreds of years.
A by-product of the butter-making process,buttermilk (karnemelk) is typically used in this region's cuisine.Leyden cheese, spiced with cumin and traditionally produced withskimmed milk, can also be considered a by-product in the same way. Traditional farm-made Leyden cheese from this region has been given aprotected designation of origin.
For centuries this region has provided prominentDutch cheeses, named after the cities where each cheese was sold. Recorded history ofGouda cheese arguably starts in 1184,[26] making it one of the oldest cheeses that is still in production using its original recipe.Edam cheese, traditionally produced in small waxed spheres, has been made since the 14th century.[27] These cheeses are made with full-fat milk, and thus they are not by-products of butter production; the young varieties have a milky flavour.
Cheeses sold as Gouda or Edam are now produced everywhere in the world.[citation needed] However, the European Commission has designated the specific names "Gouda Holland" and "Edam Holland" asprotected geographical indications (PGIs). Cheese that are certified with these protected names must be produced in Holland using traditional methods with milk from Dutch cows and must undergo a natural aging process. Trademarked cheeses such asLeerdammer,Beemster andRotterdamsche Oude also originate in this region.
Seafood such assoused herring,mussels (calledZeeuwse Mosselen, since all Dutch mussels for consumption are cleaned in Zeeland'sOosterschelde),eels,oysters andshrimp are widely available and typical for the region.Kibbeling, which consists of small chunks of batteredwhite fish, is a local delicacy that has grown in popularity to become a nationalfast food.
Indirectly a product of the sea due to its imported spices,Ossenworst (ox sausage) is a raw beef sausage which used to be made ofox meat. This specialty has its origins in seventeenth-centuryAmsterdam, when oxen were imported large-scale from Denmark and Germany. The spices in the sausage, such aspepper,cloves, mace andnutmeg, came overseas from theDutch East Indies.Aged beef was used for this sausage, which wassmoked at such a low temperature that the meat remained raw. Present-day Amsterdam ossenworst is made with lean beef, and the sausage is now often neither smoked nor aged. It is often eaten withAmsterdamse uitjes, a kind ofpickled onion. The tradition of pickling onions andaugurk or zure bom (pickled cucumbers) is a contribution of Amsterdam's Jewish community. Traditionally, soused herring is only eaten in Amsterdam with pickled cucumber.
The region harbours the largestcocoa cluster in the world,[28] making the Netherlands one of the leading exporters ofchocolate.[29] The chocolate industry is located in this region both because of its colonial past and because Amsterdam was the site of an important innovation in chocolate production. In 1828Coenraad van Houten developeda new process that allowed chocolate — which until then had been consumed as a liquid — to be manufactured in solid form. Van Houten produced chocolate first inAmsterdam and later inLeiden andWeesp, whileDroste began inHaarlem.Chocomel originated inZoetermeer; this trademarked chocolate-flavoured milk is a very popular type ofKoek-en-zopie (the food and drink sold to ice skaters).Zaandam is home toVerkade and also the headquarters of a relatively new Dutchfair trade chocolate brand,Tony's Chocoloney. De Zaanstreek is also noted for itsmayonnaise (a popular condiment forFrench fries) and its whole-grainmustards (a popular accompaniment tobitterballen).[citation needed]
The traditional alcoholic beverages of this region are beer (pale lager) andjenever, a high proofjuniper-flavored spirit that came to be known in England asgin. The region is home to the majority of thejeneversteden, or 'jenever cities'.Lucas Bols inAmsterdam andNolet (Ketel One) inSchiedam are the oldest and third-oldest distilleries of the world respectively.Delft is also known for its jenever. The Bols family established a liquor distillery in Amsterdam in 1575 that started worldwide distribution of its products at the turn of the 18th century, with 300 liquor recipes. It has since introduced many other flavours, such asBlue Curaçao andPisang Ambon.[30] The Nolet Distillery in Schiedam was founded in 1691, and has remained in the Nolet family ever since.[31] A notable exception to the traditional types of Dutch alcoholic beverages is also native to this region:advocaat, a rich and creamy liqueur made from eggs, sugar and brandy.
The provinces ofGroningen,Friesland,Drenthe,Overijssel andGelderland north of thegreat rivers are the home of northeastern Dutch cuisine, which is generally known for its many kinds of meats. This region is the least populated area of the Netherlands. Large-scale agriculture was not introduced here until the 18th century, and the relative lack of farms allowed for an abundance ofgame andanimal husbandry. The coastal regions of Friesland, Groningen and the parts of Overijssel bordering theIJsselmeer also include a large amount of fish in their traditional dishes.
Themetworst family of dried sausages is found throughout this region, with most towns and villages having their own variety. The most famous sausage from this region isGelderserookworst. The Dutch eat 60 millionrookworst a year.[32] These sausages traditionally are smoked overoak andbeechwood chips before being boiled in water. The sausage contains much fat and is juicy. Large sausages are often eaten alongsidestamppot, likezuurkoolstamppot (mashed potatoes andsauerkraut). Cut in half they are sometimes eaten as a street food.Kruudmoes, a traditional food with buttermilk,pearl barley, bacon and herbs in which rookworst is processed, is local to Gelderland (in and around the Veluwe) and Overijssel (in Salland).
This region is also home to more heavy and solid varieties of Dutch pastries, cookies and breads. Each of the provinces of Gelderland, Overijssel and Groningen has a long-standingrye bread tradition, but rye bread from Friesland (Fries roggebrood, a kind ofpumpernickel) has become especially well-known because of its distinctive taste. Frisian rye bread is notable for its long baking time (up to 20 hours), which results in a sweet flavour and a deep dark color. In contrast to southern Dutch bread, which tends to be soft and moist, the northeastern rye bread and pastries generally are of a hard texture, and the pasties are heavily spiced withginger orsuccade or contain small bits of meat. Typical examples for the region includekruidkoek (such asGroninger koek), Frisiansuikerbrood (with chunks of sugar),Fryske dúmkes (cookies with anise, ginger, and hazelnuts) andspekdik (small pancakes withmetworst andbacon).
In terms of alcoholic beverages, the region is renowned for its manybitters (such asBeerenburg) and other high-proof liquors rather than the beer that is more typical in the rest of the country. The city ofGroningen is a 'jenever city' — the only one not located in the western region — and home to theHooghoudt distillery. Friesland with its low-lying pastures also has a feature in common with western Dutch cuisine, that of cheese production.Friese Nagelkaas (Friesian clove cheese) is a notable example, and the variant made with skimmed milk known askanterkaas has been granted aprotected designation of origin.
Southern Dutch cuisine constitutes the cuisine of the Dutch provinces ofNorth Brabant andLimburg and theFlemish Region in Belgium. It is renowned for its many rich pastries, soups,stews and vegetable dishes and is often calledBourgondisch (Burgundian) which is a Dutch idiom invoking the Burgundian dukes who ruled theLow Countries in theMiddle Ages. In this region the dukes had their court, which was renowned for its great feasts. The culinary tradition in this region overlaps with that of neighbouringFlanders.
It is the Dutch culinary region which developed anhaute cuisine and it forms the base of most traditional Dutch restaurants including typicalmain courses served such asBiefstuk,Varkenshaas,Ossenhaas, these are premium cuts of meat, generallypork orbeef, accompanied by a wide variety of sauces and potatoes which have been double fried in the traditional Dutch (or Belgian) manner.
Stews, such ashachee, a stew ofonions,beef and a thick gravy, is flavourful and require hours to prepare. Vegetable soups are made from richly flavoredstock orbouillon and typically contain small meatballs alongside a wide variety of different vegetables. Asparagus andwitloof are highly prized and traditionally eaten with cheese orham.
Pastries are abundant, often with rich fillings of cream, custard and—due to the manyfruit orchards (omnipresent inBetuwe region)—fruits. Cakes, such as theLimburgse vlaai from Limburg and theMoorkop andBossche Bol from Brabant, are typical pastries. Limburg is also known for itsappelstroop (apple butter), where it may have been originated. Savoury pastries also occur, with theBrabantian worstenbroodje (a roll with a sausage ofground beef, literally translates into sausage bread) being the most popular. It even has been included in the national inventory of intangible cultural heritage.[33]
The traditional alcoholic beverage of the region is beer. There are many local brands, ranging fromTrappist beer toKriek lambic. 5 of the 11International Trappist Association-recognised breweries in the world, are located in the Southern Dutch cultural area. Beer, like wine in French cuisine, is also used in cooking; often in stews.
Indonesian andIndo dishes became popular due to the arrival of former Dutch colonials and people of Eurasian descent into the Netherlands, especially after theindependence of Indonesia fromDutch colonial rule in 1945.CountessCornelia van Limburg Stirum writes in her bookThe Art of Dutch Cooking (1962): "There exist countless Indonesian dishes, some of which take hours to prepare; but a few easy ones have become so popular that they can be regarded as 'national dishes'". She then provides recipes fornasi goreng (fried rice),pisang goreng (fried bananas),lumpia goreng (fried spring rolls),bami (fried noodles),saté (satay or grilled skewered meat),satésaus (satay sauce orpeanut sauce), andsambal oelek (chilli paste).[34] Dutch-Indonesian fusion dishes originated in the Netherlands or in the Dutch Indies during colonial times, isrijsttafel ("rice table"), which is an elaborate meal consisting of up to several dozen small dishes filling an entire table,spekkoek, a layered cake, andbabi pangang speciaal, which is, unlike in Indonesia, served in a sweet sour sauce. Popular Indonesian-Dutch fusion dishes sold at Dutchsnackbars arepatatje oorlog (French fries with mayonaise, onions andpeanut sauce),patatje pinda (French fries with peanut sauce),[35]bamischijf (or bamiblok) andnasischijf (or nasiblok). Another Indonesian-inspired food popular in the Netherlands is long sheets ofkrupuk.
Outside the big cities, Indonesian food is served in Chinese restaurants, and almost every town in the Netherlands has a Chinese-Indonesian (Chinees-Indische) restaurant. In the 1980s, 60% of Dutch people went out to eat at a Chinese Indonesian restaurant, 30% of whom at least once a month.[36] This typical Dutch restaurant fusion is now in decline. In February 2021, thisChinese-Indonesian restaurant culture - where three cultures come together (Chinese, Indonesian and Dutch) - was acknowledged asDutch intangible cultural heritage that needs to be preserved.[37]
Surinamese cuisine is also popular in the Netherlands, especially in the bigger cities. Surinamese establishments commonly offerroti, a staple of theHindustani community in Suriname, various Surinamese interpretations ofChinese Indonesian cuisine, and Surinamese sandwiches (Surinaamse broodjes) such asbroodje bakkeljauw (with a type ofdried and salted cod) andbroodje pom.
The firstItalian restaurants appeared in the fifties followed byTurkish andMoroccankebab andshawarma restaurants, and Americanfast food restaurants in the seventies, sometimes resulting in Dutch fusion dishes, for examplekapsalon (based on kebab),McKroket andMcFlurrystroopwafel[38] (both sold only in DutchMcDonald's restaurants). In the bigger cities, nowadays, foods from all corners of the globe are sold in shops and restaurants.
Alongside yoghurt, fruit and muesli,ontbijt (breakfast) consists of bread, usually with butter and sweet toppings, such ashagelslag,vlokken,muisjes,vruchtenhagel,gestampte muisjes,treacle,apple butter,kokosbrood,jam,chocolate spread, andspeculaas.
Dutch bread tends to be very airy, as it is made from yeast dough. From the 1970s onward Dutch bread became predominantlywhole-grain, with additional seeds such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds often mixed with the dough for taste.Rye bread is one of the few dense breads of the Netherlands.White bread used to be the luxury bread, often made with milk as well as water. A typical Dutch white bread istiger bread.Ontbijtkoek may be eaten as a substitute for a full breakfast, or simply as a snack. It is served as a thick slice, usually with butter. This popular'cake' has been around for centuries, since it can be stored for weeks at room temperatures, without it spoiling, due to the pH, sugar content and used spices.[39] Ontbijtkoek resembles somewhat a softgingerbread cake, but with much less ginger, hardly any fat and more sugar. The sugar used is the typical Dutchbasterdsuiker, an aromatic, moist and fine sugar, which gives a baking product its typical brown color and smooth texture.Basterdsuiker is protected by the EU and acknowledged as aTraditional speciality guaranteed.[40]
Beschuit (Dutch crisp bakes) is also eaten as a breakfast food, with the same variety of sweet toppings, or cheese. A longtime Dutch (romantic) favourite is to servestrawberries onbeschuit, which is usually topped with some sugar or whipped cream.
A popular breakfast in the weekend arepannenkoeken, large and thin pancakes, but not as thin as Frenchcrêpes. The batter consists of eggs, milk, a mixture of wheat and buckwheat flour, salt, and vanilla extract. The pancakes are cooked in butter, but a bit of vegetable oil is added to the batter to prevent it from burning. Typical fillings that are cooked with the batter are apples, cheese, raisins, chocolate and bananas. Sometimespannenkoeken are eaten as dinner in apannenkoekenhuis (restaurant), and the variety of toppings can includebacon,ragout, salmon and many other things. On the plate pannenkoeken can be topped off with powdered sugar, cinnamon orstroop (Dutch syrup).[41]
Wentelteefjes (French toast) is another breakfast treat, that has a long history, which goes back to Roman times. A recipe was found inApicius, a Latin cookbook from 4th and 5th century.
Middageten or lunch is somewhat similar to breakfast, but is usually heavier, less sweet, and more savory. However, lunch is not to be a warm meal, and eating leftovers for lunch is not very common. In bars and restaurants, however,uitsmijter is a popular dish: two eggs fried with bacon or Gouda cheese, rosbief (rare roast beef, thinly cut), ham.
Dutch consumers are fond ofpindakaas (peanut butter) as a bread topping. The Netherlands is not only the number one importer of peanuts, it is also the biggest exporter of peanut butter, and despite its size, the third largest consumer in Europe.[42] Other popular toppings arefilet americain (a finely ground raw lean beef with the addition of mayonnaise, mustard, paprika and other spices).
One of the most popular toppings for bread ischeese. The vast majority of Dutch cheeses are semi-hard or hard cheeses. Famous Dutch cheeses includeGouda andEdam. A typically Dutch way of making cheese is to blend in herbs or spices during the first stages of the production process. Famous examples of this are cheeses withcloves (usually theFriesian Clove),cumin (most famouslyLeyden cheese), ornettles.
Dutch hard cheeses generally can be divided by maturity:
| Dutch name | English | Maturity | Flavour | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonge kaas | Young | 4 weeks | creamy | soft |
| Jong belegen | Mildly aged cheese | 8–10 weeks | mild | soft |
| Belegen | Aged | 16–18 weeks | full | semi hard |
| Extra Belegen | Extra-aged | 7–8 months | savoury | semi hard |
| Oude kaas | Old | 10–12 months | rich and savoury | hard |
| Overjarig | Very old (literarily: Over-aged) | 1–2 years | rich, savoury and salty | crumble with salt crystals |
The terms 'jong', 'belegen', 'oud', etc. have not been legally protected with regard to the period of ripening.[43] Cheeses sold in supermarkets may have been produced with a fast-ripening starter. This results in faster formation of crystals, and the fast-ripening starter gives a sweeter flavour to the cheese. Fast ripened cheeses lack the complexterroir of cheeses with a longer ripening process. Names implying a level of ripening while avoiding Dutch words could also be used. For example,Old Amsterdam which is ripened - according to the company - only for 8 months, uses "Old" instead of "Oud".[44]
The designationboerenkaas is legally protected for cheese made on a farm fromraw milk. Due to the use of raw (notpasteurised) milk, the enzymes and bacteria present in the cheese remain active during ripening. Boerenkaas is therefore spicier and more complex than factory cheese where pasteurised milk is used. Moreover, the taste ofboerenkaas varies from farm to farm because of the diverse dairy cattle breeds, different feed, the season and the craft of the cheese maker.[43]
Fat content on the cheese packaging is also legally protected. For example, '35+' cheese must contain between 35-40% fat, '48+' must contain 48-52%. These percentages are calculated based on the dry matter of the cheese. Thus, a 48+ cheese generally contains 29% fat accounting for water contents.[45]
Dutch people invite friends over forkoffietijd (coffee time), which consists of coffee and cake or biscuits, served between 10:00 and 11:00 am (before lunch), 4:00 pm (between lunch and dinner) or between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm (after dinner). Dutch thrift of the 1940s and 1950s, when the country was rebuilding the destruction ofWorld War II, led to the famous standard rule of only one cookie with each cup of coffee. Presumably in the late 1940s even the then-Prime Minister,Willem Drees, served coffee and one biscuit to a visitingAmericandiplomat, who then became convinced that the money from theMarshall Plan was being well spent. It has been suggested that the reasons for this can also be found in the Protestant mentality in the northern Netherlands. The Roman Catholic south does not share this tradition as for instance in Limburg, where serving a largevlaai (sweet pie or pastry with filling), cut into eight pieces, is tradition when visitors are expected.
Koffie verkeerd (literally "wrong coffee"), orCafé au lait, consists of equal parts black coffee and hot milk. The Dutch drink tea without milk and the tea is weaker than typical English or Irish types of tea which are stronger and are usually taken with milk. In Dutch bars, tea with freshly chopped ginger (verse gemberthee) or with fresh mint leaves (verse muntthee) has become popular in the 21st century. In the autumn and winterhot chocolate orchocomel is drunk. Two traditional Dutch drinks,anijsmelk (hot milk withaniseed) andkwast (hot water withlemon juice)[46] are hardly drunk any more.
Drinks are served with a wide variety of pastry (gebak), cookies (koekjes) and candies (snoep).
Appeltaart (Dutch-style apple pie) comes in two main varieties: crumble crust (appelkruimeltaart) and lattice (appeltaart). The main difference is the texture and design rather than the flavours. The recipe of both doughs is based on flour, sugar and full-cream butter, and sometimes additional ingredients such as lemonzest. The filling typically uses sour hard apples such as the soft and sweet sourGoudreinet or the crisp and sweetElstar. Sometimes a small pear is added to the mixture. Fillings are usually flavoured withcinnamon,nutmeg andlemon juice. Dutch apple pie filling sometimes includes additional ingredients such as raisins and nuts.Almond paste is sometimes added as a layer between the apples and the crust, so the moisture of the apple filling does not soften the crust.
Apple pie can be served warm or cold, plain, with a dash of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. In the United States, "Dutch apple pie" refers specifically to the type with a crumb topping.
Boterkoek or "butter cake" is a rich, buttery pastry that is somewhere between a cake and a cookie. It has a crust to the outside and has a soft dense inside. The treat has Dutch Jewish origins, with the Jewish original often including candied ginger.[47]
Vlaai is typical for the province of Limburg but is eaten everywhere in the Netherlands. This pastry is made with a yeast dough and filled with fruit such as apple, apricot, pineapple, plum, cherry or berry filling. Other ingredients includecustard andrhubarb.Rijstevlaai is stuffed with a rich rice-and-cream filling, andkruimelvlaai has a custard filling with a crumb crust. Vlaai can be topped with fruits,whipped cream or chocolate.
Tompouce ortompoes, is iconic, and the Dutch market shows little variation in form, size, and colour. A tompouce is a rectangular bar of about 15 cm x 5cm x 4cm. It consist of two layers ofpuff pastry sandwiching crème patisserie. The top pastry has a smooth and pinkicing. DuringKoningsdag a variant is made with orange instead of pink icing.
Mergpijp is an elongated pastry consisting of cake, cream and jam or purée, covered with a white layer of marzipan that is dipped in chocolate on both ends. It is a variation of a Swedish pastry.
Moorkop and the similarBossche bol are large chocolate-glazedchoux pastry spheres filled with whipped cream.
The Netherlands is famous for its cookies, and one of the three top exporters of cookies in the world.[48] The (American-) English word cookie, derives from Dutchkoekje[49] (or in theHollandic dialectkoekie which has a similar pronunciation as Englishcookie).
The Netherlands is one of the world's leading exporters ofcandy[51] andchocolate.[52] The Dutch favordrop:liquorice. The Dutch are the highest consumers of liquorice in the world,[6] and the largest producer of the liquorice candy in the European Union, making up one-third of all EU liquorice production.[53] There are over 80 kinds ofdrop sold in shops over the country.[53] The four types ofdrop are soft sweet (includingfruitdrop), soft salt, hard sweet (katjesdrop), and hard salty (zoute snippers).Zoute drop, orsalty liquorice comes in regular and double salty. When they are flavoured with coconut fondant they are calledEngelse drop (liquorice allsorts). Other varieties are made with honey (honingdrop),salmiac (salmiakdrop), or bay laurel (laurierdrop). Typical shapes of Dutchdrop are diamonds, ovals, oblongs, and coins (known asmunten in Dutch, leading to the namemuntdrop). Some manufacturers have introduced speciality ranges where thedrop is made in thematic shapes, the most notable are shapes of cars (autodrop), and shapes of farm animals and farm machinery (boerderijdrop).
Well known local Dutch candies arehopje from the city ofthe Hague andbabbelaars from the province ofZeeland. Well known also world wide arementos andfruittella, both inventions ofIsaak van Melle who started the production of candies and toffees atBreskens in 1900.
Between 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm alcoholic beverage drinks (borrel), beer, wine or other drinks with savoury snacks are served in bars, at home or at the work space (cafetaria). Borrels are most frequently served at weekends or Friday afternoon. At more formal borrelsbitterballen are served, a miniature variant of thekroket (croquette), deep-fried ragout-filled balls with a crunchy layer of bread crumbs.Bitterballen are served with mustard. Another hot borrel snack isvlammetje (deep-fried mini spring rolls with a very spicy minced meat filling).Borrelnootje (peanuts in a spiced crusty coating), cheese cubes andkaasstengels (crusty cheese sticks) are other typicalborrel snacks.
In Dutch drinks, beer in particularlager plays a central role while wine plays only a modest role. Traditionally the spiritjenever was frequently consumed during drinks.Dutch beer market is dominated by three main producers (with main and subsidiary brands) with a regional preference.Heineken is most common in the west,Grolsch (owned byAsahi Breweries)in the east, andBavaria in the south. Other common Dutch lager brands areHertog Jan andDommelsch (owned byAB InBev) and the independently brewedGulpener andBudels.[54] Imported BelgianJupiler is also very common in the Netherlands.
Dutch cities had long brewing tradition. In the 20th century, the market consolidated when big brewers took over smaller breweries merging production in few production plants, and sometimes discontinuing brands. Since 1990 craft brewers have proliferated in the Netherlands, especially in North Brabant and Limburg which maintained a stronger beer tradition, with many different types of beer (not unlikebeer in Belgium). In the 21st century, many new microbreweries were founded, brewing top fermenting beers in many different styles. In September 2013, there were 184 active breweries in the Netherlands. Popular styles includebock,trappist ale,stout, andwheat beer, while in the 2010sIPA varieties became very popular. Some of the most popular craft breweries in the Netherlands areBrouwerij 't IJ,Jopen, and Two Chefs brewing.
Common spirits includeJenever (originally distilled malt wine and the precursor toGin, nowadays frequently made with industrially produced alcohol),Brandewijn (brandy) andVieux an imitationCognac.Of thebitters, Frisian spicedBeerenburg is the most famous, but alsoKandeel (made from white wine),kraamanijs (anisette),oranjebitter (orange-flavored brandy, served on festivities surrounding theroyal family),Advocaat,Boerenjongens (raisins in brandy), andBoerenmeisjes (apricots in brandy) are consumed.
Dinner, traditionally served early by international standards, starts around or even before 6 p.m. The old-fashioned Dutch dinner for the lower class consists of one simple course: potatoes, meat and vegetables—known under the acronym "AVG" (aardappelen, vlees, groente). AVG consists traditionally of potatoes with a large portion of vegetables and a small portion of meat with gravy, or a potato and vegetable stew. Vegetable stews served as side dishes are for examplerodekool met appeltjes (red cabbage with apples), orrode bieten (beetroot). Regular spices used in stews of this kind may bebay leaves,juniper berries,cloves, and vinegar, although strong spices are generally used sparingly. Stews are often served withpickles, includinggherkins or cocktail onions (zilveruitjes). Due to the influx of other countries, traditional meals have lost some popularity.Stamppot, mashed potatoes with different options for vegetables, is traditionally eaten in winter. If there is astarter, it is usually soup.
The below-listed dishes have historic origins as meals for common labourers. From the 17th to the 19th century, labourers typically worked 10 to 16 hours a day on farms or in factories in unheated rooms; intended to replenish a labourer's energy, these meals are very heavy on calories and fat.
Toetje, or the final course, is a sweet dessert, traditionallyyogurt with some sugar orvla, a thin milk pudding (cooked milk with custard). Vla comes in a variety of flavours; the most common ones are chocolate and vanilla.
The birth of a child is an occasion for servingbeschuit met muisjes (Dutchrusk covered with sugaredaniseed). The aniseeds are blue when the child is a boy and pink if it is a girl. It is common to serve them to all visitors of mother and child and bring them to announcing birth at e.g. workplace. Traditionally, Dutch funerals are sober, and food provided is a simple piece of cake with a cup of coffee or tea.
The Dutch festival ofSinterklaas is held on 5 December. Saint Nicholas leaves gifts in the children's shoes. On this occasion, the Dutch drink hot chocolate milk and eat luxury variants ofspeculaas: speculaasbrokken (thickspeculaas chunks),gevuldespeculaas (almond paste filledspeculaas) and speculaas icecream. Spices inspeculaas include cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardemon and ginger. Alsoboterletter (a baked pastry crust with an almond paste filling and shaped into a letter S ofSinterklaas),marsepein (marzipan, in the shape of animals or other topical items),borstplaat (discs offondant); andtaaitaai are eaten. And everyone receives achocoladeletter (chocolate letter), corresponding with the first letter of the name of the receiver. Special treats distributed by Saint Nicholas' aideZwarte Piet includepepernoten (irregularly shaped small cookies made of rye, honey and anise) andkruidnoten (gingernut-shaped biscuit but made with speculaas spices). The traditionalkruidnoot has a specific flavor and texture, but over the years, various variants have also entered the market. Some examples of variants that have appeared in Dutch stores:
Christmas (Kerst) in the Netherlands is a typical family holiday. Traditionally there is family brunch withkerststol, a fruited raisin bread, often filled with almond paste and covered in powdered sugar. The bread and its namestol originate from Germany, and the name appeared for the first time in print in a Dutch newspaper in 1871.[56] A popular sweet iskerstkransje. Christmas dinner is also a family occasion whererollade (a kind ofroulade but without the filling, consisting of spiced pork), roast pork, game, or other luxury meat may be served. Another popular Christmas dinner tradition isgourmetten [nl], where people cook on the dinner table their own food on a specialgourmetset, although this is not limited to Christmas.
On New Year's Eve (Oud en Nieuw), Dutch houses smell of the piping hot oil of deep-fat fryers used to prepareoliebollen andappelbeignets (a kind ofapple fritter) – not to be mistaken for theappelflap which are made of puff pastry. Alsoananasbeignets (pineapple fritter) are considered a treat.Oliebollen are yeast dough balls, either plain or filled with glacé fruits, apple pieces, raisins, andsultanas are served with powdered sugar. They are sold by street vendors and bakeries, and the quality can vary by a land slide and every year an oliebollen contest is held.[57] Freshly made they are the most tasty. In the 17th century, Dutch settlers also took theiroliebollen to theAmerican colonies, where they are now known in a different form and recipie asdoughnuts.
In Limburg,nonnevotten are sometimes served during New Year's Eve, although it is mostly eaten during Carnival. Around New Yearsknieperties are popular, in particular in the northern provinces.
Months before Easter (Pasen) shops are flooded with chocolate eggs. On average, the Dutch eat 47 chocolate easter eggs a year.[58] Another popular dish eaten during Easter isPaasstol, which is the same kind of bread as theKerststol.
The Dutch have their own types offast food, sold atsnackbars that mainly serve deep-fried fast food.French fries (calledpatat orfriet) are served with one or a combination of sauces, most commonly:
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Snacks made with meat are usually deep fried. These include:
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