DUTCH CUISINE An Introduction To Some Essential Dishes When moving to a new country, one of the first points on most people's to-do list is trying local food specialties. Although the Dutch are not particularly known for their cuisine, there are a few must-tries when you live in the Netherlands. Generally speaking, Dutch food is very hearty and not the healthiest. Many items are based on meat, though nowadays, you can find vegetarian and even vegan alternatives to most Dutch classics. This article will introduce some of the best Dutch food, and hopefully inspire you to go out and explore! POFFERTJES Poffertjes are delicious small pancakes. Traditionally they are served covered with powdered sugar and butter. During wintertime, there are loads of market stands selling this treat. If you do not want to wait until winter, you can always buy a pack in the supermarket and heat them up yourself. Or, if you are feeling adventurous, you can try making them from scratch. I personally love topping poffertjes with hagelslag, another Dutch delicacy. Poffertjes were created by Dutch monks during the French revolution. Because of a shortage of wheat flour, the monks experimented with the recipe they used to create communion bread. They invented 'little friars', which were soon dubbed poffertjes, a name derived from the noise of air ('poff') escaping the pancakes when they are fried. BAMISCHIJF The Dutch colonized many different countries; therefore, it is only natural that you will find foods that bear witness to this influence. Bamischijf is a snack inspired by Chino-Indonesian cuisine. The Dutch East Indies, today's Indonesia, was a Dutch colony until 1949. Bamischijf consists of bami (Indonesian noodles and vegetables) formed into a schijf (Dutch for 'slice'), coated in breadcrumbs and fried. If you are feeling snacky, you can get this delicious treat in most snack bars. PAGE 25
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