Dutch fast food favourites

The Dutch are huge fans of deep fried food and

love a trip to a ‘snackbar’ on most days. Snackbars sell the nations favourite

fast foods and you can also get a lot of the most loved quick fixes on the

streets thanks to the many street venders all over Amsterdam. So get your

fingers dirty while on your leisure or business short stay and try out some of

the nation’s favourite snacks.

You just can’t go home without trying….

Patatje Oorlog

This is fries, or chips as they’re called in

the UK, with a special ‘oorlog’ sauce to mix things up a little instead of

going for just mayonnaise or ketchup. Oorlog means war in Dutch and a war of mayonnaise,

satay sauce and chopped raw onions it is. If you’re not keen on onions or just

don’t want that bad breathe afterwards then hold back on the onions. The

combination is actually really tasty. Being a huge fan of fries with mayo I was

hesitant at first and it took me a while to convert from just mayo to mayo and

satay sauce (I always hold back on the onions) but now there’s no going back!

Cost: approx. 2.20 Euros

Kibbeling

Kibbeling, battered and freshly made white fish

filet bites, is a tasty quick fix for lunch, as an afternoon snack or for

dinner on its own or even as a meal at a restaurant with fries and salad. The

batter used is more delicate than the one found on battered fish in the UK. Kibbeling

is accompanied with a sauce and the choice is usually the herby ravigote, the

classic whisky or a Dutch favourite garlic mayonnaise. Since kibbeling is small

pieces of fish it is quiet greasy after being fried but still tasty! However if

you want something a little less greasy go for a lekkerbek which is a whole

fish filet, battered and fried. You will find kibbeling and lekkerbek at street-side

fish vendor carts, at markets such as at the Albert Cuyp Market or at

fishmongers.

Cost: starts at approx. 4.00 Euros for a small

portion

FEBO

Experience eating freshly made fast food from

vending machines! This is a fast food chain with a number of locations in

Amsterdam. Isn’t there something wrong about warm vended food? Either way FEBO

is a hit amongst locals and tourists looking for a quick fix. FEBO has a number

of heated vending machines where you have a choice of Dutch favourite fried

foods including burgers, various sausages and chicken. If the vending machines

are just a little too alien for you then you can order at the counter instead. The

menu includes fries, drinks and milkshakes. If you visit a big event or

festival while on your short stay in Amsterdam then you’re bound to come across

a mobile FEBO stand with its signature vended foods.

Cost: various

Frikandel

A Dutch favourite sausage, a frikandel is a

long, skinless and deep fried sausage. The content is usually a mixture of

mechanically separated meat of pork, beef and chicken but there are however

ones without pork. Some may also be made up of a smaller percentage of horse

meat so do keep this in mind and ask before trying it if you are against eating

horse meat. A frikandel is usually served with curry ketchup, ketchup or

mustard but many Dutch people go for a frikandel special where the sausage is

cut deep lengthways and filled with mayonnaise, curry ketchup and chopped raw

onion.

Cost: approx. 1.60 Euros

Kroket

A second favourite sausage-like snack after

frikandel, a kroket is a bread-crumbed and deep fried sausage with the main

ingredient being minced meat of either veal, beef, chicken or turkey. A few

years ago research concluded that about 350 million krokets (kroketten) are

eaten in the Netherlands. Krokets are so popular that McDonald’s even sells a

kroket burger. The kroket also comes in a rounded shape version called

‘bitterbal’ which can often be purchase in bars too. You can also buy frozen

krokets, bitterballen or frikandels at the supermarkets and deep or shallow fry

them back at your short stay apartment. Some snack bars also sell potatoe

krokets so keep an eye out for those too. Foods like this make a great snack

and will not do any damage to your wallet.

Cost: approx. 1.60 Euros

Kipcorn

This is another deep fried favourite amongst

the Dutch and sold at every ‘snackbar’. Kipcorn is a chicken or turkey

sausage-like snack with a crispy coating on the outside for a crunchy bite. Many

locals eat it without a sauce while other go for dipping it into either

mayonnaise or satay sauce which nicely complements the crunchy coating. Since you’re at the snackbar then why not buy

a portion of fries on the side and enjoy with your kipcorn.

Cost: approx. 1.60 Euros

Raw herring

Available at street vendors and fishmongers,

herring (haring) is an acquired taste and a national favourite. I’m yet to try

this one as I’m not daring enough and just find it a little too carnivore-like

with the whole idea of eating it the Dutch way by tipping your head back,

lifting the tail and just going for it in one go. Most people buy it with

chopped raw onions, or with pickles, that they dip it into before eating. New

herring is particularly popular and arrives usually in May when the locals are

queuing to taste the fresh new North Sea herring. Eating raw herring makes for

a great photo, especially when eaten the Dutch way.

Cost: approx. 2.00 Euros

Poffertjes

Mmm, poffertjes! You’ve got to love these mini

pancake-like snacks. Usually sold with just sprinkled powder sugar and butter

or with caramel syrup, poffertjes have a light and spongy texture. This popular

sweet snack is mainly sold in the colder months at temporary carts where they are

freshly prepared right before your eyes; your mouth will be watering as they

start sprinkling the sugar over them, you just can’t wait to dig in. Some

supermarkets sell pre-packaged poffertjes that you can microwave back at your

Amsterdam apartment; or you could buy a ready-made mix along with eggs and milk

and try your hand at that for an even fresher taste.

Cost: starts at approx. 2 Euros for a portion

of ten

Stroopwafels

A winner with any sweet tooth, this tasty snack

is made of two thin layers of baked batter with caramel syrup filling in the

middle. The stroopwafel is truly Dutch and originates from a city called Gouda.

They are sold usually on the streets or at markets where they are prepared

fresh. Small and large versions are available. Every supermarket sells them too

but pre-packed and the best way to eat them is to boil a brew back at your

Amsterdam apartment and place one over the top of the cup so that it warms up

first before you enjoy it with your tea or coffee.

Cost: approx. 0.50 to 1.00 Euros for one large

freshly made and approx. 1.80 Euros for a packet in the supermarkets.

Pancakes

You can’t visit Amsterdam without eating a

pancake or two. There are a number of pancake houses around the city that make

sweet and savoury pancakes to go or eat in. Some of the favourites include nuttela,

banana and cream; lemon and sugar; ham, cheese and pineapple. One of the

favourite pancake restaurants is the Pancake Bakery by the Prinsengracht canal,

number 191, or the small Pannenkoekenhuis Upstairs pancake house on Grimburgwal

2 in the Wallen area (known as the Red Light District to you and I) which is

within an old canal house and the climb up the steep stairs makes the eating of

your pancake even more rewarding; just step carefully on the way down.

Cost: starts at approx. 4.50 Euros