Dutch people absolutely looove fried snacks. Fried snacks are everywhere.
The canteen at my company smells like fried food 365 days a year. Which is also the frequency with which they use the deep frier.
In Italy fried food is popular as well, but it's mostly about "healthy" ingredients - vegetables, meat or fish. And it's generally a Sunday treat or a little snack for the happy hour. In the Netherlands, fried food is a daily appointment and the ingredients are definitely not a healthy choice. The list of fried snacks is endless, although most of them look and taste very similar. They can be paired with beer, enjoyed on their own as a snack, or stuffed inside some bread for a quick meal.
I must confess I am not a big fan of fried food. So I am always amazed at the quantity of fried things my Dutch colleagues put in their plates. Below is a whole gallery of snapshots I took with my phone at lunchtime. It has become a sort of tradition that my colleagues also enjoy :)
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| Kroketten |
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| Mexicano |
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Patat Speciaal (french fries with mayo, curry sauce and raw onion)
In the back is a frikandel (a sort of fried sausage made with meat sub-products). |
Of all these fried food, I recommend that you try bitterballen: a typical pub snack, they are a mix of béchamel and mushrooms that is then deep-fried and served boiling hot with a side of thick mustard. Delicious and 100% Dutch!
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| Bitterballen spotted on the right side of the pic! |
A sign of the Dutch love for fried food is the diffusion of shops called "Febo". It's like a huge vending machine for fried foods, where you don't need to order at the counter, but you just insert some change, open a little flap, and take your hot snack. You can spot a Febo by the knot of people standing and eating fried food in front of it. It's a typical Dutch experience that you cannot miss!
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| Fonte foto: web |
Speaking about food, I take the chance to post some pics of other dishes we are being served at the canteen. They make an excellent job at illustrating what I meant when I said that Dutch people don't really care about food, since eating is regarded as a necessity and not a pleasure. Of course there are also some very nice, hearty and delicious Dutch dishes that I recommend that you try: maatjesharing (brine raw herrings), rookworst (smocked wurstel), stamppot (mashed potatoes with vegetables), gehaktballen (meatballs the size of a tennis ball) and the amazing traditional appeltaart with cinnamon...
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| Tomato soup and a sandwich |
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| Sandwich with omelette, ham and ketchup |
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| Rookworst and mustard bun |
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| Something sweet... |
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