Nasibal is an unusual fusion of Indonesian and Dutch cuisines, a snack that is usually bought from numerous street vending machines that serve food. Shaped like a ball, nasibal consists of nasi goreng filling (fried rice and various spices) that is breaded and deep-fried in hot oil.
It can also be prepared at home, typically with leftover nasi goreng. For the best results, pair the snack with Indonesian peanut sauce.
Just like their cousins appelbeignets, ananasbeignets is a typical Dutch comfort food made by dipping pineapple slices in a batter, then frying them in hot oil. Because the core has been taken out from the pineapple and the batter puffs up when fried, ananasbeignets look like doughnuts, although they are not.
This flavorful, hearty dessert should always be served warm, preferably dusted with powdered sugar before consumption.
Beschuit met muisjes is a traditional snack that is consumed when celebrating the arrival of a baby. It consists of beschuit – a round, toasted, dry, and crunchy rusk that is smeared with either margarine or butter, then topped with muisjes – sugar-coated aniseeds.
The topping can either be pink and white if the baby is a girl (these are the traditional colors), or blue and white if it's a boy (modern colors). It is believed that aniseed stimulates milk production in nursing mothers, so beschuit met muisjes is a staple at almost every Dutch household when a baby is born and guests come to visit.
Taai-taai is a popular Dutch cookie with a hard, chewy texture. It consists of flour, sugar, baking powder, and eggs. The cookies are traditionally flavored with aniseed and honey. These treats are especially popular during the festive Sinterklaas season, when they are shaped into hearts, animals, or Sinterklaas himself.
The name taai-taai means tough-tough, referring to the texture of these popular cookies.
Boerenjongens is a Dutch specialty from Groningen, consisting of raisins that are soaked and preserved in brandy and spices such as sugar and cinnamon. The raisins are traditionally reserved for special occasions such as Christmas and similar celebrations.
It is recommended to serve them in small glasses with a small spoon on the side. Today, boerenjongens are also used as a stuffing for meat or as a topping for yogurt or pancakes.
MOST ICONIC Boerenjongens
Krentenwegge is a heavy and dense Dutch currant bread filled with a flavorful almond paste. It is associated with holidays such as Christmas, Easter, and New Year, especially in the eastern and northern parts of the country. In the region of Twente, it is always served to guests who come to visit a new baby (instead of the traditional beschuit met muisjes).
Krentenwegge is so popular in those parts of the country that it is sometimes baked in over a meter in length. Nowadays, this sweet bread can be bought pre-packaged, and it is usually consumed with a cup of coffee on the side.
Pepernoten are traditional Dutch cookies that are closely associated with the Sinterklaas holiday. The cookies are usually prepared in the shape of squares and consist of flour, milk, butter, sugar, anise seed, cinnamon, and cloves. Pepernoten are especially beloved by children due to their spicy-sweet flavor and chewy texture.
Rodekool met appeltjes is a healthy and flavorful Dutch side dish consisting of red cabbage braised with apples. Typically prepared in winter, the dish is usually flavored with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, and sugar. It is believed that rodekool met appeltjes tastes even better if reheated the next day, when the contrasting flavors of sweet apples and tangy cabbage have combined thoroughly.
For the best results, it should be paired with boiled potatoes, hachee (a typical Dutch beef stew) and game such as rabbit, venison, elk, and hare.
Traditionally served for dinner on cold winter nights in the Netherlands, zuurkoolstamppot is a hearty dish consisting of a combination of mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. The dish is often enriched by the addition of butter and bits of bacon. It is customarily served piping hot and paired with rookworst sausages that are placed on top of the stamppot.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Stamppot
Fries roggebrood is a popular rye bread that is a specialty of the Dutch province of Friesland. Its flavor is slightly sweet and sour, similar to pumpernickel bread, while the texture is moist and dense, and its color is dark brown, almost black.
Traditionally, Frisian rye bread is sliced very thinly, and in the past, it used to be paired with cheese, butter, or sugar. Today, it is typically paired with the famous Dutch pea soup called snert. It is said that the bread will keep almost indefinitely if wrapped in plastic, but it can also be sliced and frozen for even further use.
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