Pardon? This Is What Other Countries Do with Our Beloved Bitterbal
To me, the bitterbal is very much a source of Dutch pride. And not just that: bitterballen with drinks have even officially been declared intangible heritage! Lots of countries try to recreate them, but nobody can make them the way we do here. And of course they taste just as good when you’re standing at Friet van Piet in a touristy Spanish resort, but I’d bet money that they’re imported from the Netherlands anyway.
During my career in hospitality, I was asked several times a day what bitterballen (‘beeterballs?’) actually were. Pretty difficult to explain, since to me the concept of bitterballen is crystal clear. But obviously it isn’t to non-Dutch people.
Bitterballen with beer
Every now and then, another country does have a go at recreating this Dutch delicacy (may I call it that? Surely I can). And now I’ve come across another attempt and… Well, I definitely have opinions about it. Buzzfeed Canada recommended a recipe — including a video — to its nearly 200,000 followers. According to them, the bitterballen, or ‘Dutch Meatballs’, were easy to make and a great combination with beer. They’re absolutely right about the latter, of course, but the rest…
Take a trip to the Netherlands with some Bitterballen (aka Dutch Meatballs) that pair perfectly with beer! pic.twitter.com/oYtsQlicn5
— BuzzFeed Canada (@BuzzFeedCanada) July 8, 2020
What is turkey doing in a bitterbal?
‘Take a trip to the Netherlands’ is also written above it, and I don’t know where they think The Netherlands is, but it has nothing to do with these bitterballen. Starting with the onion and chicken stock. I find both dubious ingredients that don’t necessarily belong in a Dutch bitterbal. Let’s take our truly Dutch beef bitterbal as an example. No onion or chicken involved. The word already gives it away a little: beef.
But Canada doesn’t care about that and stubbornly keeps cooking. Then we arrive at the bitterbal’s main ingredient: TURKEY. Seriously. They simply throw turkey into the bitterbal. I don’t know what’s going on here or why it makes me so angry, but isn’t this a little sacrilegious? They say it pairs well with beer, but I’d need quite a few drinks before I could eat this as a snack.
Result? Not good enough
You can imagine that the end result isn’t exactly anything to write home about either. The ragout looks more like some kind of runny mashed potato, and don’t even get me started on the outside. I’m giving this a failing grade. Let the pros handle making bitterballen, okay?
Also read:
- Carnival or not, here’s the Flügel bitterbal
- The bitterbal gets its own holiday: National Bitterbal Day
- Thanks to PostNL, licking a bitterbal
