Netherlands Cuisine

Cuisine In The Netherlands

Dutch cuisine is simple and straightforward, and contains many dairy products. Breakfast and lunch are typically bread with toppings, with cereal for breakfast as an alternative. Traditionally, dinner consists of potatoes, meat, and vegetables. The Dutch diet was high in carbohydrates and fat, reflecting the dietary needs of the labourers whose culture moulded the country. During the twentieth century this diet changed and became more cosmopolitan, with most global cuisines being represented in the major cities. In early 2014, Oxfam ranked the Netherlands as the country with the most nutritious, plentiful and healthy food. Modern culinary writers distinguish between three regional forms of Dutch cuisine: northeast, west and south:

The regions in the northeast are the least populated areas of the Netherlands. The late 18th century introduction of large scale agriculture means the cuisine is known for its meats. The relative lack of farms allowed for an abundance of game and husbandry, though dishes near the coastal regions include a large amount of fish. The various dried sausages, belonging to the metworst-family of Dutch sausages are found throughout this region. Smoked sausages are common, of which (Gelderse) rookworst is the most renowned. Larger sausages are eaten alongside stamppot, hutspot, or zuurkool (sauerkraut), whereas smaller ones are eaten as a street food. The provinces are home to hard textured rye bread, pastries and cookies. As a coastal region, Friesland is home to low-lying grasslands, and thus has a cheese production in common with the Western cuisine. Cookies are produced in great number and contain a lot of butter and sugar. The traditional alcoholic beverages are beer (strong pale lager) and Jenever, a high proof juniper-flavoured spirit, that came to be known in England as gin. An exception within the traditional Dutch alcoholic landscape, Advocaat, a rich and creamy liqueur made from eggs, sugar and brandy, is native to this region.

In the West, the abundance of water and flat grasslands, mean the area is known for its dairy products, which include prominent cheeses such as Gouda, Leyden (spiced cheese with cumin), and Edam (traditionally in small spheres) as well as Leerdammer and Beemster, while the adjacent Zaanstreek in North Holland has since the 16th century been known for its mayonnaise and typical whole-grain mustards. A by-product of the butter-making process, karnemelk (buttermilk), is considered typical for this region. Seafood such as soused herring, mussels, eels, oysters and shrimps are widely available and typical for the region.

The Southern Dutch cuisine consists of the cuisines of the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Flemish Region in Belgium. It is renowned for its rich pastries, soups, stews and vegetable dishes. It is the only Dutch culinary region that developed an haute cuisine. Pastries are abundant, often with rich fillings of cream, custard or fruits. Cakes, such as the Vlaai from Limburg and the Moorkop and Bossche Bol from Brabant, are typical pastries. Savoury pastries abound, with the worstenbroodje (a roll with a sausage of ground beef, literally translates into sausage bread) being the most popular. The alcoholic beverage of the region is beer, there are many local brands, ranging from Trappist to Kriek.

The Netherlands Overview

The Netherlands Sovereign State: Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Netherlands Before Independence: Spanish Netherlands
The Netherlands Act of Abjuration: 26 July 1581
The Netherlands Peace of Münster: 30 January 1648
United Kingdom of the Netherlands 16 March 1815
The Netherlands Liberation Day: 5 May 1945
The Netherlands Kingdom Charter: 15 December 1954
The Netherlands Caribbean Reorganisation: 10 October 2010
The Netherlands Capital and Largest City: Amsterdam
The Netherlands Coordinates: 52°22′N 4°53′E
The Netherlands Government Seat: The Hague
The Netherlands Official Languages: Dutch
The Netherlands Regional Languages:
West Frisian, English
The Netherlands Recognised Languages:
Dutch Low Saxon, Dutch Sign Language, Limburgish, Sinte Romani, Yiddish
The Netherlands Ethnic Groups (2022):
74.0% Dutch
8.4% other Europeans
2.4% Turkish
2.4% Moroccan
2.1% Indonesians
2.1% Surinamese
1.1% Dutch Caribbean
7.6% other
The Netherlands Religion (2023):
58% no religion
30% Christianity
6% Islam
6% other
The Netherlands Demonym(s): Dutch
The Netherlands Government: Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
The Netherlands Monarch: Willem-Alexander
The Netherlands Prime Minister: Dick Schoof
The Netherlands Legislature: States General
The Netherlands Upper House: Senate
The Netherlands Lower House: House of Representatives
European Parliament
The Netherlands Constituency: 31 seats
Area Total: 41,865 km2 (16,164 sq mi) (134th)
The Netherlands Water (%): 18.41
The Netherlands Highest Elevation (Mount Scenery): 887 m (2,910 ft)
The Netherlands Population: Neutral Increase: 18,195,000 (69th)
(2011 census): 16,655,799
The Netherlands Density: 520/km2 (1,346.8/sq mi) (33rd)
The Netherlands GDP (PPP): Increase $1.329 trillion (28th)
The Netherlands Per Capita: Increase $74,158 (11th)
GDP (nominal) 2024 Estimate Total: Increase $1.143 trillion (17th)
The Netherlands Per capita Increase $63,750 (11th)
The Netherlands Currency:
Euro (€) (EUR) United States dollar (US$) (USD)
The Netherlands Time Zone:
UTC+01:00 (CET)UTC−04:00 (AST)
Summer (DST)
UTC+02:00 (CEST)UTC−04:00 (AST)
The Netherlands Driving Side: right
The Netherlands Calling Code: +31, +599
The Netherlands Internet TLD: .nl, .bq