I’m a lucky girl. My best friend lives in the Netherlands and I often have the chance to visit her. Just now the tulip season has started and the breeze of spring is in the air…cold and windy but sunny and right now I’m sitting in her living room in The Hague, relaxing with tea and sending you dutch greetings!

I have been here many times and tasted many different specialities the country has to offer…
For me the dutch food is very hearty and tasty and they do make some of the very best cakes and pies. But every time, I leave from here….I’m just a little bit heavier then when I came. I wonder why… 🙂

Where should I start……ah, I know:
Fresh fish, from the market or beach: The fresh fish gets fried in hot oil for a few minutes, after hopping into a batter. When you pull a nugget apart, you have all the juice and flavor dripping out of it. A sensation!

Photo: “Kibbeling”

Classic to the fish: some fries….
14 years ago I learned that dutch people eat their fries with mayonnaise. I wasn’t the biggest fan of it then….but now when I eat fries from a paper bag in Holland, there must be mayonnaise on top….once a tradition, always one.

It’s such a pleasure to walk through the streets of The Hague and sometimes this smell of warm caramel is passing by and you know the next stand with fresh made Stroopwafels isn’t fare away.

Stroopwafel is a waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough with a caramel-like syrup filling in the middle, perfect with coffee or tea.

The multicultural offer of restaurants is huge. Just yesterday I enjoyed some of the best indonesian food. And if you like it more simple, you can find lots and lots of Pancake Houses where they serve plate big sweet and salty Pancakes (Pannenkoeke).

I could continue about Stamppot, Hutspot, Rookworst, great Cheeses, Soups, Speculaas, Poffertjes and and and…..but I recommend, you just check it out yourself 🙂

Emily Lovestone