The 20 most famous dishes of Netherlands
Dutch cooking is simple and warming, built on potatoes, vegetables, cheese and fish, with famous street sweets like stroopwafels and a clear Indonesian influence from colonial times.
1Boerenkool Stamppot
Mashed potatoes with kale, served with smoked sausage and gravy — the national winter dish.
2Hutspot
Potatoes, carrots and onions mashed together, served with braised beef — linked to the 1574 Relief of Leiden.
3Erwtensoep
Split-pea soup so thick a spoon stands up in it, with vegetables and smoked sausage — the winter soup.
4Hollandse Nieuwe Haring
New-season lightly salted herring, eaten raw by holding the tail, with chopped onion and pickles.
5Kroket
Crisp logs filled with creamy meat ragout, eaten in a roll with mustard.
6Bitterballen
Small crisp balls with ragout filling — the favourite Dutch snack with mustard.
7Poffertjes
Tiny puffy pancakes cooked in a dimpled pan, served with butter and icing sugar.
8Stroopwafel
Two thin crisp waffle wafers sandwiching cinnamon caramel syrup — from the city of Gouda.
9Pannenkoeken
Large, thin plate-sized pancakes eaten with cheese, apple or sweet beet syrup.
10Kibbeling
Battered fried chunks of cod, sold at fish markets with garlic or tartare sauce.
11Frikandel Speciaal
A skinless minced-meat sausage, deep-fried and served split with mayo, curry ketchup and onion.
12Appeltaart
A deep apple pie with crumbly butter pastry, cinnamon and raisins, served with whipped cream.
13Oliebollen
Fried dough balls with raisins and apple dusted with icing sugar, eaten on New Year's Eve.
14Brood met Hagelslag
Buttered bread covered in chocolate sprinkles — the daily breakfast of millions of Dutch people.
15Bami Goreng
Fried noodles with chicken, vegetables and sweet soy sauce — a staple of Indo-Dutch cooking.
16Patatje Oorlog
Fries topped with mayonnaise, peanut satay sauce and raw onion — the name means "war fries".
17Speculaas
Crisp spiced biscuits pressed in carved wooden moulds, baked for St Nicholas.
18Uitsmijter
Slices of bread with cold cuts and cheese topped with two fried eggs — the Dutch café lunch.
19Draadjesvlees
Beef braised for hours with onion and bay until it falls into threads, served with potatoes and red cabbage.
20Tompouce
Two layers of crisp puff pastry with vanilla custard between, topped with pink icing (orange on King's Day).