ExploFood · Europe
What to eat in Netherlands
Five dishes to try in the Netherlands, the most typical first. One is vegetarian.
Five dishes to try in the Netherlands
Stamppot
Potatoes mashed with kale, sauerkraut or endive, served with smoked sausage.
How to have it: A winter dish; order boerenkool stamppot with rookworst at a traditional Dutch café.
Hollandse nieuwe Haring
Raw, lightly brined herring eaten with chopped onion and pickles.
How to have it: Buy from a herring cart; hold it by the tail and eat it whole, or ask for a broodje haring.
Bitterballen
Crisp deep-fried balls of thick beef ragout.
How to have it: A bar snack with a beer; dip in mustard and wait a moment, the inside stays very hot.
Erwtensoep Snert
Very thick split-pea soup with pork and smoked sausage.
How to have it: A cold-weather classic; served with rye bread and bacon, popular at winter skating events.
Stroopwafel
Two thin waffles stuck together with caramel syrup.
How to have it: Buy them fresh and warm at street markets; rest one on a hot coffee to soften the syrup.
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Questions
What food is the Netherlands famous for?
Stamppot (potatoes mashed with kale, sauerkraut or endive, served with smoked sausage) comes first on our list, followed by Hollandse nieuwe, Bitterballen, Erwtensoep and Stroopwafel.
What is the national dish of the Netherlands?
Ask ten people and you get several answers. The dish we put first for the Netherlands is Stamppot: potatoes mashed with kale, sauerkraut or endive, served with smoked sausage. A winter dish; order boerenkool stamppot with rookworst at a traditional Dutch café.
Which dishes in the Netherlands are vegetarian?
One of the five on this page is vegetarian as usually made: Stroopwafel. Recipes vary, so ask about stock, lard or fish sauce.
What street food should I try in the Netherlands?
Hollandse nieuwe (raw, lightly brined herring eaten with chopped onion and pickles).
How reliable is this list?
The dishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, where you can also tick off the ones you have tried. Recipes vary by region and by family, so take it as a starting point.
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Get ExploDishes are hand-picked from general knowledge in the Explo app, with links to Wikipedia. Recipes and names vary by region.