Hooray! Today is National Croquette Day
Today is one of the most important days of the year: National Croquette Day. Of course, we can’t let a day like this pass us by unnoticed. There’s no better excuse to order unlimited croquettes all day long. Croquette-wise, certain places really go all out: we’ve lined up our favourites for you for the ultimate celebration.
National Croquette Day
A blissful moment: fishing your hot croquette out of the fryer, then slicing it open with your knife – crack crack – and spreading it onto a soft white bread roll. But where does National Croquette Day actually come from? Well, the late culinary journalist Johannes van Dam wrote Het krokettenboek, which was published in 2014 by Uitgeverij Nijgh & Van Ditmar. They declared 9 October National Croquette Day – coincidentally, Mr Van Dam’s birthday.
Croquettes in Amsterdam
A flavourful, velvety, glossy ragout made with homemade stock and top-quality veal, cut into fine cubes and generously filled beneath a deliciously crisp, thin crust; that, in a nutshell, is our favourite Holtkamp croquette. Humble opinion: in the capital, you can order the tastiest croquettes at Holtkamp (still written très chic as ‘croquette’ – with a ‘c’ and ‘q’).
Kwekkenboom and Van Dobben are also pretty good. And a good old shrimp croquette from FEBO always hits the spot for us too. And would you like to try Amsterdam’s latest sandwich trend? Then hurry to Larry’s at Kinkerstraat 75. Their bao bun croquette with pickle is on the menu as a temporary special.
Croquette in Utrecht and Leiden
A nice croquette fact to share while waiting in line at the snack bar: the first mention of the croquette appeared in 1705 in a book by Louis XIV’s chef – so the croquette isn’t a Dutch invention, but a French one. In Utrecht and Leiden, you can order a piece of French history at Dapp (order some excellent fries while you’re there!)
Croquette in The Hague
Another fun croquette fact – and because this one concerns The Hague’s croquettes, it has a political twist: in 1993, Jan Peter Balkenende, then still a council member in Amstelveen, submitted a croquette motion. He argued that municipal councillors were entitled to a croquette if the council meeting lasted beyond 11 p.m. The motion was intended as a joke, but because a majority of the council agreed to it, it is still in force to this day.
Now that’s genuinely worthwhile information to bring up when someone looks down on your favourite snack. Residents of The Hague can satisfy their croquette cravings at Friet District, close to the Palace Gardens of Noordeinde Palace, where they also sell fantastic fries alongside their croquettes.
Croquette in Rotterdam
The average Dutch person eats 25 croquettes a year, according to the Algemene Kokswaren en Snackproducenten Vereniging (AKSV). The beef croquette ranks first, followed by the veal croquette, goulash croquette, satay croquette and chicken croquette at number 5. In Rotterdam, head to Pomm’s for the tastiest (organic) croquettes. They are prepared with organic ingredients according to their own recipe, without powders or other unnatural additives, and made with fresh homemade stock. Hatsiekidee, just how we like it.
Have a lovely celebration today!
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