At some point a Dutch friend will offer you raw herring, salty liquorice, or chocolate sprinkles on bread, and watch your face. Knowing the classic Dutch foods (and the words for them) lets you join in, try things, and small-talk about food. Here is the field guide.
The hearty classics
| Dutch | What it is |
|---|---|
| stamppot | mashed potato mixed with veg (kale, sauerkraut, carrot-onion) |
| boerenkool | stamppot with kale + a smoked sausage (rookworst) |
| hutspot | stamppot with carrot and onion |
| erwtensoep / snert | thick pea soup (winter staple) |
| hachee | a slow beef-and-onion stew |
Stamppot is winter comfort food, usually served with a rookworst (smoked sausage). Tourism guides like Holland.com list the regional versions.
The snacks (borrel and snackbar)
| Dutch | What it is |
|---|---|
| bitterballen | crispy deep-fried meat-ragout balls (with mustard) |
| kroket | a larger croquette, also in a bread roll (broodje kroket) |
| frikandel | a skinless minced-meat sausage |
| kaassoufflé | deep-fried cheese parcel |
| kibbeling | battered fried fish chunks |
Bitterballen are the king of borrel snacks, served hot with mosterd (mustard), and molten inside, so bite carefully. The frikandel and kroket come from the snackbar wall (sometimes a coin-operated muur).
The sweet and the salty
| Dutch | What it is |
|---|---|
| hagelslag | chocolate sprinkles, on buttered bread |
| stroopwafel | thin waffle with syrup filling |
| poffertjes | tiny fluffy pancakes with butter and sugar |
| drop | salty or sweet liquorice (an acquired taste) |
| oliebollen | New Year’s fried dough balls |
Yes, hagelslag on bread is a normal breakfast, for adults too. And drop (especially zoute drop, salty liquorice) divides newcomers like nothing else.
The famous: haring and kaas
- haring: raw, lightly cured herring, traditionally eaten with chopped ui (onion), held by the tail and lowered into your mouth, or in a broodje haring.
- kaas: cheese is central; choosing it is its own art, see ordering at the kaaswinkel.
Talking about food
To accept, decline or react politely:
- Ik wil het graag proberen. (I’d like to try it.)
- Het is lekker! (It’s tasty!) , see the word lekker.
- Het is even wennen. (It takes some getting used to.)
- Voor mij niet, dank je. (Not for me, thanks.) , politely, per the dank-je decline rule.
The language society Onze Taal notes many of these food words have no English equivalent, so they stay Dutch, and the Van Dale dictionary is a good check for the exact terms.
Where it connects
Dutch foods pair with reading a restaurant menu, ordering at the bakkerij, the kaaswinkel, and cooking a Dutch recipe.
The bottom line
Know the classics: stamppot and snert for winter comfort, bitterballen and the snackbar wall for snacks, hagelslag on bread for breakfast, drop and stroopwafels for sweets, and haring with onion as the rite of passage. Learn to say Ik wil het graag proberen and het is even wennen, and you can dive into Dutch food culture with confidence.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the typical-food words and how to talk about them, stamppot, bitterballen, haring, hagelslag, ik wil het graag proberen, in five-minute lessons, so you can join in, accept or politely decline Dutch food.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most typical Dutch foods?
Classics include stamppot (mashed potato with vegetables like kale (boerenkool) or carrot-and-onion (hutspot)), bitterballen (deep-fried crispy balls of meat ragout, the classic borrel snack), haring (raw herring with onion), hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles eaten on buttered bread), drop (salty liquorice), poffertjes (mini pancakes), stroopwafels (syrup waffles), and snackbar items like the kroket and frikandel. Cheese (kaas) is central to the diet too.
What are bitterballen and how do you eat them?
Bitterballen are small, round, deep-fried snacks with a crispy crumb coating and a soft, savoury meat-ragout filling. They are the quintessential borrel snack, served hot with mustard (mosterd) for dipping. Be warned: the inside is molten when fresh, so bite carefully. You will meet them at every Dutch borrel, cafe and party, usually shared from a plate with cocktail sticks.
Is it true the Dutch eat chocolate sprinkles for breakfast?
Yes. Hagelslag is chocolate (or fruit) sprinkles that you scatter on buttered bread, and it is a completely normal breakfast or lunch, for adults too, not just children. You butter the bread first so the sprinkles stick. It surprises many newcomers, but a boterham met hagelslag is a beloved everyday food. Other bread toppings include kaas (cheese), pindakaas (peanut butter) and vlokken.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for food and eating culture?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the typical-food vocabulary and the phrases to talk about it, stamppot, bitterballen, haring, hagelslag, ik wil het graag proberen, in five-minute real-situation lessons, so you can join in Dutch food culture and accept or decline politely.
