Stroopwafel
Often eaten: Often eaten as a sweet snack with coffee or tea, especially between meals
Known for: Gouda, South Holland, where the stroopwafel was first developed
Everyday meal
Photo: Vincent van Zeijst (CC BY-SA 3.0)
3 dishes to discover
Food of Netherlands
The Netherlands is known for its colorful tulips and gentle windmills, but its food is also full of flavor and fun. Kids can enjoy hearty meals like mashed potatoes with veggies, called stamppot, and sweet treats like stroopwafels, which are gooey caramel-filled waffles. Dutch food is simple yet delicious, making it exciting for kids to taste and learn about!
Featured Dishes
Meal Culture
In the Netherlands, meals are often a fun and relaxed time to come together. Families and friends gather to enjoy a mix of delicious foods, from fresh breads and cheeses to tasty snacks like stroopwafels. Sharing and enjoying food together is an important part of their culture.
Eating Etiquette
In the Netherlands, it's polite to keep your hands on the table during a meal, but not your elbows. Finish everything on your plate to show you enjoyed your meal. People often start with breakfast, which might be bread with cheese or chocolate sprinkles.
When People Eat It
Erwtensoep (Pea Soup)
Often eaten: Usually eaten as a hearty lunch or dinner, especially on cold winter days
Known for: All over Netherlands
winter
Poffertjes
Often eaten: Festivals or special occasions
Known for: All over Netherlands
festival
Make It Yourself
๐ฉโ๐ณ Cook together! Always ask a grown-up to help with hot or sharp steps.
StroopwafelStroopwafel
Makes 8 wafflesIngredients
- 2 cups (250 g)Flour
- 1/2 cup (115 g)Butter, softened
- 1/3 cup (70 g)Brown sugar
- 1 eggEgg
- 1/2 cup (120 ml)Caramel syrup
- 1 tspCinnamon
How to Make It
- 1Mix the flour, butter, brown sugar, and egg into a dough.
- 2Roll the dough into small balls.
- 3Ask a grown-up to press each ball in a hot waffle iron until thin and golden.
- 4While still warm, carefully slice each waffle in half through the middle.
- 5Spread warm caramel syrup mixed with cinnamon on one half.
- 6Press the halves back together โ best enjoyed over a warm mug so the caramel melts.
Erwtensoep (Pea Soup)Erwtensoep
Makes 6 servingsIngredients
- 2 cups (400 g)Dried split peas
- 2 potatoesPotatoes, cubed
- 2 eachCarrots and celery
- 1 sausageSmoked sausage, sliced
- 1 eachOnion and leek
- 6 cups (1.4 L)Vegetable broth
How to Make It
- 1Rinse the split peas.
- 2Put the peas, broth, onion, leek, carrots, and celery in a big pot.
- 3Ask a grown-up to simmer it for about 1 hour, stirring now and then.
- 4Add the potatoes and sausage and cook 20 more minutes.
- 5The soup should be so thick a spoon can almost stand up in it.
- 6Serve hot with rye bread โ a Dutch winter favorite.
PoffertjesPoffertjes
Makes 30 mini pancakesIngredients
- 1 cup (125 g)Flour
- 1 cup (240 ml)Milk
- 1 eggEgg
- 1 tspYeast
- 1 tbspButter
- for dustingPowdered sugar
How to Make It
- 1Whisk the flour, milk, egg, and yeast into a smooth batter and let it rest 30 minutes.
- 2Ask a grown-up to heat a poffertjes pan (or a regular pan) with a little butter.
- 3Pour small spoonfuls of batter to make tiny puffy pancakes.
- 4Flip each one when bubbles appear, and cook until golden.
- 5Pile them onto a plate.
- 6Dust with powdered sugar and add a dab of butter.
Vocabulary
Dutch meals often include rich soups and sweet treats like stroopwafels, which can remind you of pancakes with syrup.