Food stories

Dutch cuisine slammed: this is what we think of it ourselves

Stamppot gehaktbal

Dutch cuisine is never mentioned as the most popular cuisine in the world. That honor often goes to Italian or Japanese cuisine. In fact, Dutch cuisine is frequently slammed. And then we speak up. This is what Dutch people themselves think of it.

Foto van culinair journalist Sharon van Lokhorst

TikToker Cosmo showed a number of typically Dutch dishes and snacks on TikTok, and they did not appeal to everyone. ‘The meals are giving the great depression vibes’, ‘I survived 4 wars, but I don’t think I’ll ever survive Dutch food’ and ‘I would cry every day’, were some of the comments. But what do Dutch people themselves actually think of Dutch cuisine?

Everything frikandel

‘Plenty of variety… Special frikandel with curry, ketchup, peanut sauce. Or a pizza with frikandel. And of course frikandel rolls. Or a catamaran, fries with 2 frikandellen. I don’t understand why they’re complaining so much.’ – Niels Boer

It depends on the cook

If Dutch food tastes bland to you, that’s the cook’s fault, not the food’s. Dutch food can be very tasty if seasoned/prepared properly
take kale, for example; it has little flavor on its own, but mashed well with bacon bits and sausage, a little salt and delicious thick gravy, it becomes much better. The only problem is that it is (often) not prepared or seasoned properly, which makes it bland. – Tom Kuipers

Delicious Dutch pastry

It takes foreigners a little getting used to; the mashed-potato dishes are simply delicious, and so is raw herring. And yes, lots of vegetables and many types of meat, sausages and so on. However, it is a peasant cuisine; pastries are delicious, and foreigners do know those, just not as Dutch pastries. – Jacqueline van ‘t Hull

One-sided and boring

Northern European cuisines are usually boring, just look at English or Irish cuisine. Not exactly culinary masterpieces either. This is simply because people had to make do with whatever was harvested that season, and that was usually rather one-sided. – Robert Westera

Haggis versus snert

No, we should be eating that disgusting haggis. All organ meat prepared in an intestine. Now that’s truly revolting. Give me snert any day. – Sandra Rossen

Where are the spices?

If you have controlled the spice trade for centuries, sailed all the routes, completely plundered countries and enslaved entire peoples for spices, and then the best thing to come out of your kitchen is kale, something really must have gone wrong somewhere. – Joe Maats

Sprinkles sandwich

Our children would love to have white bread with sprinkles every day. – Marije van Santen

Mush

There is almost nothing from Dutch cuisine that foreigners would proudly serve. Stroopwafels, perhaps. And Gouda cheese. Mashed-potato dishes—try looking at that mush through foreign eyes. – Catharina Anna Maria van Vliet

Efficient and nutritious

Dutch people have learned to cook efficiently and nutritiously. Unfortunately, little attention has been paid to variety and, uh… flavor. – Vleer Muis

Only with loads of bacon bits

Well, the typically traditional Dutch cuisine is indeed not exactly a culinary masterpiece. To each their own. My boyfriend will only eat endive mash if I cook it in stock, add a whole load of bacon bits and a whole load of herbs, including garlic. – Esther ten Have

Delicious

As long as the Dutch enjoy it, boerenkool mash with sausage, or a delicious bowl of snert, is always welcome……delicious. – Annelies van den Esschert

Read also:

Source: Facebook/The Best Social Media

Geen foodnews Missen?
Ontvang een update in je inbox