Stroopwafel Drop Oliebol Kroket Dutch Delicacies Each country has its own specialties ERWTENSOEP (PEA SOUP) regarding food, as well as snacks, candy and Quite a few countries have some sort of soup made from anything you can eat or drink. Although peas, but not one of these variations is as dense and fill- ing as the Dutch variety. This pea soup, also called ‘snert’ the Dutch cuisine is not renowned for its in the Dutch vernacular, is made from celeriac, (split) fine foods and dishes, we do have some peas, and leek, often supplemented with ingredients like products and dishes that will certainly potatoes, carrots, unions, pork and smoked sausage. Traditionally, this winter soup is served with rye bread appeal to gourmets. When you pay the spread with smoked bacon, cheese or butter. Netherlands a visit, be sure to try – and no doubt, enjoy – the taste of one or more of KROKET (CROQUETTE) One of the most popular Dutch snacks is the ‘kroket’: the products mentioned below. this is a deep-fried ragout filled snack coated with bread- 36 MeetingInternational.org Culinary Meeting crumbs. These are consumed during lunchtime, but also accompany a portion of chips. A favorite Genuine regional products quicky snack is a ‘kroket’ from the ‘automatiek’, Of course this very succinct choice selection is not complete which is in fact a vending machine mounted in without mentioning the many hard cheeses and the raw mat- a side wall of the Dutch equivalent of a fish and ties herring. But the Netherlands also boast various regional chips shop. The small lockers containing snacks products famous for their excellent taste. The province of are closed off with glass hatches that can be Zeeland, for instance, offers many delicious products from opened by inserting a coin in the machine. The the sea, like mussels, oysters, and lobster. The Wadden island ‘kroket’ also has a smaller version: the ‘bitterbal’, of Texel has an abundance of young sheep and their lamb is a small ball prepared the same way. You can appreciated for its brackish taste. In the province of Limburg, order a side of ‘bitterballen’ in the pub, but you Livar is produced, this is a ham from special free-range pigs may also be served these at a party. The ‘kroket’ with a distinct taste and pork quality. as well as the ‘bitterbal’ are usually consumed with a portion of mustard. OLIEBOL (DEEP-FRIED DOUGHNUT) This sweet tidbit is made from a rich yeast dough, optionally supplemented with raisins, currants or bits of apple, deep-fried in small quantities VLA (CUSTARD) to form a round, crispy and frothy ball. In the The Dutch really love their dairy products. They Netherlands, ‘oliebollen’ are traditionally con- consume these, among others, as ‘vla’, a sort of sumed on the last day of the year, but an ‘oliebol- custard. Regarding consistency, ‘vla’ can best be len’ stand is also a fixed item at fun fairs. Usually, compared to yogurt, but it tastes more like pud- these stands also sell ‘appelbeignets’, apple fritters. ding. It is made from fresh cow milk added with These are made by dipping an apple slice into a thickening agent, sugar and condiments. The dough and deep-fry this. Both snacks are topped most commonly used variety is vanilla ‘vla’, which off with a cloud of powdered sugar. taste-wise resembles the British custard. But there are many varieties: chocolate, caramel, fruits and POFFERTJE chipolata. ‘Dubbelvla’ (double ‘vla’) consists of va- Sweet, thick pancakes with the diameter of a golf nilla ‘vla’ and an other taste in one package. ‘Vla’ ball: Dutch poffertjes. You can make them your- is also a component of the (in Holland) widely self by means of a special poffertjes pan, but it is a made ‘vlaflip’. This dessert consists of a layer of lot more fun to visit a poffertjes stand, to see how red lemonade syrup, a layer of ‘vanilla vla’ and a quickly a poffertjes baker can flip the baked goods layer of plain yogurt. on the big plates, and eat the end product covered in powdered sugar, butter and, optionally, syrup. DROP (LICORICE CANDY) This candy is made from the root juice of the STROOPWAFEL (TREACLE-WAFFLE) licorice plant. Further additions are sugar and A ‘stroopwafel’ consists of a baked dough waf- starch or gelatine for the binding. ‘Drop’ comes fle lengthwise sliced in two and stamped with a in many tastes and shapes, from soft-sweet to diamond pattern. Sweet treacle is then spread double-salted and from licorice strings (‘dropvet- between the two halves. These waffles are on sale ers’) to medium-hard bits in the shape of a cat at supermarkets and other shops, but can also be (‘katjesdrop’). With a production value of 90 had fresh and warm at stands on the market. Usu- million euros, the Netherlands is responsible for ally, these market versions are larger in diameter. about a third of the ‘drop’ and licorice extract If you consume the ‘stroopwafel’ with your cup of production in the EU. Each year, some 32 million coffee or tea, the exprience is enhanced by placing kilos of ‘drop’ are consumed in the Netherlands, the waffle over the rim of the cup, over the warm which boils down to some 2 kg per person annu- liquid for a while. This will soften up the waffle as ally. Abroad, ‘drop’ is popular mainly in northern well as the treacle. Germany and the Scandinavian countries. MeetingInternational.org 37.