Traditional Dutch Food
By Karin Engelbrecht, About.com Guide to Dutch Food
While it's great fun to update classic recipes, there is something to be said for traditional heirloom recipes -- the type of food your grandmother used to make.
- Traditional Soups
- Traditional Sides & Snacks
- Traditional Mains
- Traditional Sweets, Breads & Pastries
- Dutch Cheese
Traditional Soups
The Dutch are renowned for hearty soups that are packed with flavour. A meal in themselves, these soups will keep you going for a while.
Traditional Sides & Snacks
These recipes for tasty side dishes to accompany your Dutch meal show that there's more to Dutch food than just meat and two veg.
- Kaasstengels (Dutch Cheese Stems)
- Koolsla (Coleslaw)
- Rode Kool Met Appeltjes (Red Cabbage & Apples)
- Stoofpeertjes (Poached Pears)
Traditional Mains
I've heard it said that the Dutch don't have a cuisine, just food. I'll let you be the judge of that as you peruse this selection of traditional dishes, ranging from delicate spring asparagus to hearty winter 'stamppot'.
- Asparagus Hollandaise
- Bacon & Apple Pancakes
- Chicken from the Golden Age
- Draadjesvlees (Slow-Braised Beef)
- Dutch Shrimp & Cucumber Sandwiches
- Filosoof (Philosopher's Stew)
- Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Redcurrant Relish
- Kapucijnerschotel (Monk's Mince)
- Knolselderij Stamppot (Celeriac Mash)
- Slavinken (Bacon Wrapped Pork Parcels)
- Stamppot Sla
- Uitsmijter (Dutch fried egg & ham breakfast)
Traditional Sweets, Breads & Pastries
Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves feature prominantly in traditional Dutch desserts -- a throwback to the time when the Netherlands ruled the spice trade. You'll also see wine and brandy make an appearance, as well as plenty of native forest fruits in the summer.
- Advocaat
- Appelflappen
- Apple Pie
- Banketstaaf (Christmas Pastry with Center of Almond Paste)
- Bishop's Wine (Mulled Wine)
- Boerenmeijses (Brandied Apricots)
- Boterkoek (Butter Biscuits)
- Chocolate Custard (Chocoladevla)
- 'Gevulde Speculaas' (Spiced Cookies with Almond Paste Center)
- Haagse Bluf (Hague Bluff)
- Hangop (Strained Yoghurt)
- Jan Hagel Cookies
- Kerstkransjes (Christmas Wreath Cookies)
- Kerststol (Christmas Bread)
- Oliebollen
- Paasbrood (Dutch Easter Bread)
- Poached Pears
- Poffertjes (Pancake Puffs)
- Kruidnoten (Small Spiced Sinterklaas Cookies)
- Tompoes (Custard Slice)
Dutch Cheese
Holland is renowned for its excellent cheese. I offer an overview of the most important varieties, what they taste like, what to look out for and where to buy them, plus a few recipes featuring Holland's cheesiest product.
