It is always fun to discover what snacks or "quick bites" locals enjoy eating as they finish a busy day of shopping or as they rush to catch their tram or train. Living so close to Albert Cuyp Market has given us some very easy access to many of the traditional Dutch snacks you can eat here in Holland. After weeks and weeks of sampling, we're now prepared to give you what we like to call the Haluke Dutch Snack Review - our review and opinion of seven popular snacks commonly found in Dutch mouths (and usually our mouths!).
The following rating guideline will be useful as you read our review below:
YYYY = Super Heerlijk (Super Delicious)
YYY = Vrij Smakelijk (Quite Tasty)
YY = Niet Een Favoriet (Not A Favourite)
Y = Nooit Opnieuw (Never Again)
Served in small, medium or large paper cones, these spectacular little numbers can be purchased from vendors many street corners in Amsterdam. Frites in the Netherlands are similar to those originating from our Belgian neighbours but with one fundamental twist - forget ketchup, the Dutch eat their frites piled high with mayonnaise. Now, before you let your stomach turn, please know that Dutch mayonnaise tastes much sweeter and is much creamier than mayonnaise sold in North America. Somehow the combination of salty and sweet works. But if you really can't stomach the mayonnaise, don't worry. Other toppings for your frites include a random concoction known as "fritesause" or another one called "currysause" - take your pick! The point is, it doesn't really matter what sauce you add to your frites, as long as they are smothered in something!
Our Rating (Frites) = YYYY
Our Rating (Mayonnaise) = YY
Herring
Herring has to be one of the most popular snacks we're reviewing in this post. Dutchies will line up for a very long time in order to devour this slimy little fish which is sold everywhere in Holland. You never have to worry about finding a place to buy herring because the smell emanating from the vendor stalls is unmistakable! Served on small paper plates, pickled herring is cut up into bite-sized pieces, sprinkled with chopped raw onion, and accompanied by a pickle. Given Chris' great dislike of cold fish, raw onions, and pickles I was the first and only one to try herring at the market back in September. Quite honestly, I couldn't figure out why this snack is so loved in the Netherlands. The smell, texture and amount of small prickly bones I had to swallow with each bite was enough to convince me that this was not a snack I would be eating on a regular basis!
Our Rating = Y
Bitterballen
This snack was a new one for us after moving to Amsterdam but has quickly become a favourite. Back in the summer we were fortunate to have bitterballen introduced to us by the waiter at one of our favourite local spots - Cafe Buiten. Bitterballen are small round balls made of a roux mixture consisting of either pork or beef, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried (yes again!). They are a popular cafe/bar snack food and are best accompanied with strong mustard and a cold beer. Did we mention they are highly addictive? We have a hard time stopping ourselves from ordering more than one plate during our regular stopover at Cafe Buiten after work on Friday nights.
Our Rating = YYYY
FEBO
Another popular snack option in Holland is FEBO - a "larger than life" vending machine where you can purchase just about any snack you'd like, including frites, a hotdog, croquettes or even an all-dressed hamburger. Just deposit your coins into the machine and pull out your selection from the little glass door. I'll be honest here, we couldn't bring ourselves to trying a hamburger that has been sitting in a vending machine all day so our rating is based on pure speculation, no hard facts!
Stroopwafels
And now for a sweet treat! Stroopwafels are two crispy golden brown cookies baked in a waffle iron and then sandwiched together with warm treacle syrup. Sweet and chewy...the perfect snack to get you through an afternoon of shopping.
It is possible to find packaged stroopwafels in tourist shops and grocery stores, but there is nothing quite like a warm stroopwafel right off the press! And they are cheap too. In addition to passing our taste test, stroopwafels also win for the best value for your money at 0.50 each. Nothing else on this list can compete with that.Pannekoeken
Very much a Dutch staple, pannekoeken is the name for Dutch pancakes. Batter is poured into round cast iron pans that are then rotated through a hot oven, flipped over, piled with ingredients and then rotated again through the oven until they are golden brown. In our opinion, pannekoeken are a nice mixture between fluffy North American pancakes, given their thicker texture, and French crepes, given the assortment of different ingredients you can add on top. Some of our favourite pannekoeken toppings include ham and cheese, but it's also possible to get something as exotic as tomato, buffalo mozzarella and fresh pesto (pictured above). A visit to Holland should never go without trying pannekoeken!
Oliebollen
Yes, you guessed it. The literal translation of this next traditional Christmas snack is "oil ball", or what North Americans refer to as a doughnut. I have to admit, there are times when I would rather not learn the very no nonsense, matter of fact, and extremely literal Dutch language! Regardless of the name, stalls selling a variety of oliebollen sprinkled with icing sugar only takes place between the arrival of Sinterklaas (November) and New Year's Day each year. Each little dough ball is dense, greasy, and smothered in icing sugar, but they're also incredibly delicious! The countdown is already on to the arrival of the oliebollen vendors next November...
Now now, *anything* that's deep fried will rate YYYY so it's not even worth it to review it.
ReplyDeleteFunny how in northern France we have something looking very much like Stroopwafels. We get them from the Belgians anyway so it's not surprising.
Oooh I love Stroopwafels! Soooo good.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the card Char. Merry Christmas to you and Chris!