Become a JRE-Inside+ member and enjoy exclusive benefits, inspiring interviews, recipes & articles, event infos and more.
- Always up to date with our world of fine dining
- Receive invites to exclusive events
- Get to know our Chefs through interviews and recipes
This article is for JRE-Inside+ members only
Go JRE-Inside+Dutch cuisine
Traditionally, the food in the Netherlands has always evolved around the produce of the sea and farmland – from seafood like raw herring and mackerel to Gouda cheese. The Dutch landscape featuring endless green fields with cows is typical for the country, and countless fishermen work daily along the Dutch shore to catch the freshest fish. But in recent years, modern Dutch cuisine has evolved and attained a more creative take on regional Dutch food. Influenced by international flavours, you will now find a variety of foreign ingredients mixed with traditional Dutch dishes. But what the Netherlands is still most famous for are its high-quality cheese, meat and fish products, which remain a staple in every restaurant’s kitchen throughout the country.
What is typical Dutch cuisine?
Traditionally, Dutch cuisine is influenced by its agriculture and livestock. Since the old days, the cuisine of the Netherlands has always been hearty and nutritious, as Dutch people have always been hard workers and need good fuel to nurture their bodies.
Immigrants from many different cultures have influenced Dutch cuisine as well. And due to the ever-changing seasons, there’s always a lot of variety in the harvests, resulting in restaurant menus that are constantly renewed with new recipes.
Gouda cheese
Rookworst
Split pea soup
What is a typical Dutch dish?
Poffertjes: These small round pancakes are a favourite among children, baked in an iron skillet, and served with melted butter and sugar.
Hete bliksem: Another traditional Dutch dish is ‘hete bliksem’ which consists of mashed potato with apple. Typically served with meat.
Erwtensoep: A favourite during winter: ‘Erwtensoep’ or ‘Snert’ is a thick soup made from split peas, cooked together with vegetables and the famous rookworst.
Stamppot: One of the most typically Dutch food is mashed potatoes mixed with a type of vegetable. For example a potato stew with kale, or carrot and onion (hutspot), also served with a rookworst.
Rookworst: A traditional Dutch smoked sausage. The rookworst is so popular nowadays, it’s also available in a vegetarian and vegan variant.
Hollandse Nieuwe: brined raw herring. A salty, tender and fatty fish which is traditionally eaten by picking it up by its tail, dipping it into finely diced onions and lowering it into the mouth. Click here to learn more about Dutch food culture.
Fine-dining in the Netherlands
Enjoy the finest Dutch dishes at one of our top restaurants in the Netherlands and explore the best Dutch food this wonderful country has to offer. Book your dinner at one of our restaurants through our website.