Ece Türkyılmaz 
Do you also want to eat everything you see on the street when you are in a different country? Some people really enjoy trying out different cuisines, and the Netherlands is one of the great places to taste new food. For sure, it is fun and interesting to check the popular food in the country you are willing to visit. Making a list of the places to best places to eat is quite exciting. They have traditional dishes too, but snacks in the Netherlands are more popular. Now, if you are ready to get hungry, let’s take a look at the traditional food of the Netherlands!
Stroopwafel
Every country has its own way to make waffles, but the winner is the Netherlands for sure. Stroopwafel is hands down the most famous food in the Netherlands. Take two thin layers of wafel and stick them together with sticky syrup. There you go, you have the most popular sweet in the Netherlands. There are plenty of Stroopwafel shops and stands all over the country. Choose one place and enjoy your hot-served dessert while watching how it is made. The ones on the streets are usually bigger and you can add some toppings as you wish. If you want to have delightful moments at home, you can simply buy your dessert from the supermarkets. I strongly recommend putting the Stroopwafel on top of your tea or coffee cup so that the syrup melts more and gets warm. Also, consider buying some for your friends and family before going back!
Patat
You are walking down the streets in Amsterdam, for instance, and wonder why everybody is holding a paper cone in their hands. The answer is they are eating the traditional snack: Patat. Patat is one of the most popular foods in the Netherlands. You can find a place which sells Patat on almost every corner. They are not like the typical mom fries that you have at home. The traditional version is usually a bit thicker and, to me, they are more delicious. They are usually served with a sauce called ‘frite sauce’, it looks like mayo but tastes slightly different. You need to pay a small amount for the extra sauce, but frite sauce is usually free. So, give it a chance when you are eating this popular food of the Netherlands. I believe you will want to eat this popular food more than once, so try different sauces every other time! You can read some blogs where people discuss whether we should call them ‘fries’ or chips’.
Poffertjes
If you like eating a bunch of pancakes for breakfast, you will definitely love Poffertjes. They are like tiny little pancakes but way puffier. It is said that, at first, they were cooked for children, but now, everyone in the Netherlands enjoys this famous dessert. You can enjoy your Poffertjes on the street during festivals or Christmas time. Also, there are ready-made ones in supermarkets which you just need to microwave. They are usually made on a special pan that has some cavities on it. Don’t worry if you do not have the traditional pan you can always ask a Dutch friend to cook it for you! You can prefer to put some honey or powdered sugar on top of them, but my favorite topping is maple syrup.
Bitterballen
Are you feeling hungry while drinking your beer and looking for a snack? Bitterballen would be the tastiest option. They are one of the delicious traditional food in the Netherlands. It is very popular to have them with alcohol, and they match quite well. Bitterballen, yes it is plural, are basically deep-fried meatballs. They are pretty crunchy outside, you can hear the perfect sound when you first bite. On the other hand, inside of it is really soft and looks like a purée of meat and roux. Make sure you try this famous food with mustard as dipping when you are in the Netherlands. Be careful, don’t burn your tongue, they are extremely hot when first served.
Haring (Herring)
Have you seen some tourists holding a fish and opening their mouths to eat it? Well, they are trying to eat the traditional food from the Netherlands, Haring. It is the raw and usually salted herring fish. If you do not want to get your hands covered with fish, you can also have it inside of a bun with some pickles and chopped onions. Ask for a ‘broodje haring’ from ‘vishandels’ when you are wandering around the streets. To be honest, I did not try Haring in the Netherlands. I am not quite comfortable with eating raw fish, but you should give it a try if you are open to new tastes while traveling.
What is your favorite Netherlands food? Let us know in the comments below so we can add them to our list!
Alert: mouth-watering content!
ı miss all of them 🙁