Amsterdam's Amazing Array of Foods

Travel - Amsterdam Restaurants on MUZU.  

 An amazing thing about Amsterdam is the wide array of foods available from its local cuisine to exotic foods brought by immigrants.  Gourmet restaurants, fast food establishments and street food stalls can be found happily co-existing, just as the people in the city co-exist with each other in a tolerant environment.  After all, if Amsterdam can tolerate individuals living unorthodox lifestyles, then it can definitely tolerate the most exotic foods.

 Because of its strong immigrant presence, the typical foods eaten in Amsterdam depend on personal preferences.  For example, Indonesian foods are as popular as Dutch cuisine depending on one's personal mood, taste and preference for a particular meal during the day.

 But since this is Amsterdam, we will only discuss the typical Dutch foods that can be ordered from the city's numerous restaurants, big and small.  Just like other cuisines, Dutch food also requires a sense of adventure into tasting everything from sweet treats to salty frites that may or may not speak of your own home thousands of miles away.

 Let's start with the wide variety of cheese for which the Dutch are justifiably proud of.  The most common cheeses are the Edam and Gouda although there are plenty of gourmet cheeses including goat cheese from stores and restaurants.  Most cafés will offer cheese on a bread roll (kaas broodje) or a plate of Dutch cheese in bite-sized pieces served with mustard or goat cheese mixed with salad greens, walnuts and a dash of honey. 

 Another Dutch addiction is to licorice, which is called drop in these parts.  Most Dutch can plow through a bag of the sweet and salty - yes, salty - treats no matter the season, the occasion and the predilection.  It may be an acquired taste but once it is acquired, addiction is not too far behind. 

 For a taste of home, tourists savor the stroopwafels and the pannekoeken, both of which are staples on any Dutch table especially for people with the proverbial sweet tooth.  The stroopwafels is a thin sandwich made from two waffle layers with sweet molasses for filling while the pannekoeken are the Dutch versions of the French crepes that can be served either with ice cream for snacks or bacon and cheese for meals. Such is their popularity that street stalls offer these treats and you can eat them right there and then.

 And nobody should dare call the frites French fries because these are Vlaamse frites!  These fried potato strips are served with many different kinds of sauces from creamy mayonnaise and spicy curry to sweet peanut sauce.  It's definitely a long way from the fast-food fries of American chains. 

 Other typical food in Amsterdam are the vla (sweet milk pudding), hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) and koffie verkeerd (coffee au lait).  These foods are often best enjoyed in the comfort of your holiday apartment, which should be booked a few days in advance through an online reservation site.  In the end, you will appreciate it that you have a home away from home in which to savor Amsterdam's amazing array of foods. 

For information on apartments in Amsterdam, click on Accommodation Amsterdam Netherlands.

Interested in knowing more about Amsterdam? Read our article Amsterdam tourism!