Category: Dutch Food and Drink
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Why Every Dutch Winter Smells Like Icing Sugar and Hot Frying Oil
Every Dutch winter, fried dough balls called oliebollen fill street corners from November to New Year’s Eve — a 700-year tradition — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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Why the Dutch Call White Asparagus Their White Gold — and Mean It
White asparagus rules the Dutch spring — six weeks of traditions ending on one fixed date — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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The Gouda Baker Who Gave the World Its Favourite Coffee Biscuit
How a penny biscuit made in a Gouda market stall in 1810 became the Netherlands’ most-loved treat — and conquered the world’s coffee cups. Get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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Why Alkmaar’s Cheese Market Is the Most Dutch Thing You’ll Ever See
Alkmaar has held its cheese market every Friday since 1365 — carriers, guilds, real deals — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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Why the Dutch Only Make Pea Soup When It’s Cold Enough to Skate
Erwtensoep — the thick Dutch pea soup locals call snert — comes with one unbreakable rule: you only make it when it is cold enough to skate — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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The Dutch Pancake House Tradition That Every Family Returns To
Why do Dutch families drive to the countryside for pannenkoeken? Discover the pancake house tradition that turns Sunday lunch into a national ritual — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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The Dutch Drinking Ritual That Has No English Word — And No Equal
Borrelen is the Dutch evening ritual of drinks and bitterballen with friends — untranslatable, unmissable, and free in our weekly newsletter.
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How a Gouda Baker’s Scraps Became the Netherlands’ Favourite Treat
Discover how a 19th-century Gouda baker turned leftover crumbs and syrup into the Netherlands’ most beloved treat — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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Why the Dutch Eat Raw Herring in the Street — and Have for Centuries
Discover Hollandse Nieuwe — the Dutch raw herring tradition that has fed the Netherlands for 600 years, from street stalls to royal barrels — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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Why the Most Famous Dutch Cheese Has a Very Different Life at Home
Edam’s famous red-waxed cheese is made almost entirely for export — the Dutch keep a very different version at home. Discover the quiet town behind the legend — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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The Dutch Bread Habit That Surprises Every First-Time Visitor
Discover why Dutch families eat bread for both breakfast and lunch — a 400-year-old tradition that reveals something true about the Netherlands — plus get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.
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The Dutch Market Town Where Cheese Is Still Weighed Like It’s 1622
The Alkmaar cheese market has run every Friday since 1622. Discover why it stops the whole town — and get weekly Netherlands stories free in our newsletter.