Culinary Differences

It may be because my tasting sense is a lot stronger due to not talking as much or hearing/understanding what I am hearing, but the food here in the Netherlands is much better than the food in America.

The meals I have had so far have been better quality than that in America. The products are rich and the ingredients lists are shorter, therefore the food is healthier. Cheese is not pumped with chemicals and it is so much tastier! Peanut butter actually tastes like crushed up peanuts and the bread does not have that hint of plastic taste like the store bought bread I get in America.

Meals are very enjoyable here. It is a time when everyone comes together to catch up about the day and joke around a little bit. They are also more simple here. While I might make shrimp, cole slaw, and fries for a meal at home, they usually only have one main dish. I have noticed that this saves time on dishes and saves room for dessert which we have after dinner. Lunch and breakfast are similar in the way that bread or rolls are provided with butter, margarine, honey, peanut butter, Nutella, meats, cheese, and other spreads to create the sandwich of your choice. My favorites so far are cervelaat and cheese or peanut butter and honey.

Along with these three scheduled meals there are designated times for tea and coffee (koffie) during the afternoon and evening. At first I thought this was strange, but now I kind of like it. It emphasizes a time to take a minute to relax from whatever you’re doing that day. I wish I could keep this habit when I get home to America, but my busy life doesn’t allow it. I am fortunate to like both tea and coffee, but Pieter and his brothers usually have juice, milk (melk), or soda during this time. Cakes or other tasty treats are served with tea of coffee.

I will probably right more about the kind hospitality of the Dutch in another post on another day, but while mentioning food I do have to say that when one visits a neighbor or a friend here in the Netherlands they always offer tea or coffee and bring out refreshments. It’s very welcoming.

This is cervelaat, similar to pepperoni or salami, just better.

This is an oliebol. We got this in Middelburg when we were shopping. They are very tasty with a fried oreo taste and texture with raisins in them. 

I showed Pieter's family a picture of macaroni and cheese in America and they were surprised. This is Dutch macaroni with vegetables and hamburger in it, similar to Hamburger Helper in America, but so much better.

This is a McKroket. Hard to describe or compare to something in America. It looks like a chicken sandwich, but it is a fried patty with a gravy texture inside that contains chunks of beef. It also has a spicy mustard on it.

"Word famous in the Netherlands" ... does not make any sense.

A bolus. This is what I had for breakfast the first day I was here. It is similar to a cinnamon roll, but much sweeter and not fresh out of the oven.

These are frikandellen, like breaded sausages. They're similar to hotdogs or corn dogs in looks, but taste nothing like them.

Kerststol was the first Dutch food I had in the car on the way to Arnemuiden from Brussels. Pieter's Oma was kind enough to pack us some snacks for the ride back after our day of traveling. This is a tasty raisin bread that has a sugary filling that has a hint of butter and lemon taste to it.

SOUP! When Pieter and I were dating he would tell me that they had soup after church every Sunday. I normally only eat soup when I am sick. Campbell's soup, from a can, and I never drank the broth. Soup here is delicious!