7 Underrated Dutch Dishes You Need to Try
If you’ve lived in the Netherlands for a while, you've probably had some of the big names of Dutch cuisine like bitterballen, poffertjes and stroopwafels. But what about the unsung heroes? There’s a whole world of deliciousness hiding in plain sight. If you’re ready to level up your culinary experience (and impress your Dutch friends), here are some lesser known, yet mouthwatering Dutch foods.
Suikerbrood
Starting off strong, Fries suikerbrood (Frisian sugar bread (Fryske sûkerbôle)) is a sweet white bread with large lumps of sugar mixed in with the dough. Cinnamon is added and sometimes also a ginger syrup. Suikerbrood is given as a gift to women who have given birth to a girl. The cinnamon and ginger are supposed to help with the healing and give the woman strength for motherhood. If the mother had given birth to a boy, she would receive a raisin cake. This soft, sweet, thick, chewy, and slightly moist cake makes for a delicious treat at any time of the day. You can find it in the bakery section of most supermarkets.
Snert (erwtensoep)
Snert is a thick pea soup that more closely resembles a stew, which is generally eaten in winter. It contains peas, different cuts of salted pork, onion, celery, leek, carrot and sometimes potatoes. It's customarily eaten with Frisian rye bread (roggebrood) and with cuts of bacon (katenspek). True Dutchies call the pea soup snert only if it has been left to stand overnight. This makes the soup particularly thick and tasty. This soup is a hearty meal that will give you a warm feeling inside on those cold and dark winter days.
Stoofpeertjes
As soon as autumn begins, and the pear harvest is done, the Gieser Wildeman will be in all grocery stores. These small, particularly hard pears can't be eaten raw, unless you want to chip a tooth. That's why they're stewed. That's where the dish’ name (stoofpeertjes - stewed pears) comes from. These pears are usually available from October until March. The ancient Greeks already used these pears as medicine, calling it a gift from the gods. They're often stewed in red wine or port, add some brown sugar, star anise and cinnamon, and you have a delicious treat on the dinner table. Try it this autumn and surprise your family and friends with your pear knowledge.
Zuurkoolstamppot
Living in Leiden, you've probably had hutspot at some point. It's the traditonal dish served on 3rd of October, with mashed potatoes, carrots and onions. But did you know there's another typical Dutch dish that doesn't receive a lot of attention? We're talking about zuurkoolstamppot of course! This mixture of mashed potatoes, sauerkraut and bacon bits makes for a tasty and nutritious meal, especially during autumn and winter. Traditionally, people combine stamppot with rookworst; a type of Dutch sausage which is stuffed into a casing and smoked. If you want to experience true Dutch cuisine, definitely give this a try.
Tompouce
Looking for something a bit sweeter, or have a reason to celebrate? Try a tompouce (or tompoes)! This pastry closely resembles a French mille-feuille or an English cream slice. In the Netherlands, the tompouce is iconic, and the market allows little variation in form, size, and colour. It must be rectangular, with two layers of puff pastry, and the icing is smooth and pink. Except for king's day, that's when the icing turns orange, like the rest of the country! These cakes are typically enjoyed with tea or coffee, and in formal settings, they're eaten using pastry forks. However, the firm, biscuit-like layers tend to press down on the pastry cream when slicing, making the process messy. This is why everyone has a different way of eating them. Ask your friends and colleagues “Hoe eet je een tompouce?” You’ll hear lots of different ideas, and you can try things out for yourself. (Our tip: take the top layer off and eat it separately).
Kapsalon
Craving a Dutch snack bar classic with global roots? Meet the kapsalon (Dutch for barber shop); a fast-food favourite born in 2003 when a hairdresser from Rotterdam asked a nearby shawarma shop to layer his favourites: fries, döner meat, Gouda cheese, lettuce, garlic sauce, and sambal. He began to regularly request what the restaurant called "the usual order for the kapsalon". Other customers noticed and started to order the kapsalon too, and it became a hit. It’s messy, multicultural, and utterly delicious — the ultimate streetfood meal.
Borrelplank
Do you have a birthday coming up? Why not try and celebrate it the Dutch way! You've probably heard of a kringverjaardag before; when everyone sits in a circle and socialises. Why not try serving a Dutch borrelplank? It looks like a charcuterie, but it contains cheese, cuts of meat, fruits, veggies, and nuts. You could add Leidse boerenkaas, which is less fatty than Gouda and has cumin added to it. Mix in some salami or leverworst, grapes or strawberries, cherry tomatoes or cucumber, a bowl of borrelnootjes and you're set. Don't forget to add toothpicks with the Dutch flag on them. Gefeliciteerd met je verjaardag!
Do you know any quintessentially underrated Dutch foods that weren't mentioned? Please let us know!