stamppot
Mashed potatoes stirred together with vegetables
Usage
A Dutch winter staple. In the Netherlands it is "stamppot"; in Flanders (Belgium) the same idea is called "stoemp". Common mix-ins are boerenkool (kale), zuurkool (sauerkraut) or andijvie (endive), usually served with rookworst (smoked sausage) or spek (bacon)
Grammar Note
Masculine noun, so de stamppot; plural de stamppotten. A compound of "stampen" (to mash) + "pot" (pot)
boerenkool met worst
Kale mash served with smoked sausage
Usage
The best-known stamppot. Dutch lore says the kale tastes best after a night of frost in the field, so harvesting starts after the first frost. It is a winter dish (November-February) and often disappears from menus in summer
Grammar Note
As a dish name simply de boerenkool. From boeren (farmers') + kool (cabbage/greens); "met" means "with"
hutspot
Mash of carrot, onion and potato
Usage
The name changes by region: wortelstoemp / wortelestamp in Flanders and Limburg, peestamp in Brabant; in the Netherlands it is also called "peen en uien" (carrot and onion). Traditionally served with klapstuk (stewed beef) or smoked bacon
Grammar Note
Masculine noun, so de hutspot. From "hutsen" (to shake/toss together) + "pot"
erwtensoep
Thick split pea soup
Usage
In the Netherlands the nickname snert is at least as common: it refers to the winter version that is so thick it is closer to porridge than to soup — a spoon should stand up in it. A fixture on skating days
Grammar Note
Takes de erwtensoep. From erwten (peas, plural) + soep (soup)
rookworst
Dutch smoked sausage
Usage
The sausage that comes with stamppot and erwtensoep. Its full name is Gelderse rookworst. Artisanal ones are recognised by the dried "drop" at the end of the sausage. Most are pork, though all-beef versions exist
Grammar Note
Takes de rookworst; plural de rookworsten. From rook (smoke) + worst (sausage)
bitterballen
Deep-fried ragout balls (bar snack)
Usage
The standard bar snack, 3-5 cm across and about 20 g — essentially a round mini version of the kroket, eaten with mustard. The filling is extremely hot, so break one open before biting. Added to the Dutch inventory of intangible cultural heritage in 2020
Grammar Note
The headword is plural; the singular is de bitterbal (masculine), but nobody orders just one. From "bitter" (the bitters drunk with it) + "bal" (ball)
kroket
Deep-fried breaded croquette
Usage
The standard filling is a meat ragout (vleeskroket). Unlike a Japanese korokke the inside is almost liquid. "Broodje kroket" — one in a bread roll — is a classic lunch, and buying one from a wall of coin-operated hatches (the FEBO format) is a distinctly Dutch experience
Grammar Note
Takes de kroket; plural de kroketten. In a roll it is "het broodje kroket" (broodje is neuter)
frikandel
Deep-fried skinless minced-meat sausage
Usage
A staple of the Dutch snackbar / Belgian frituur: a long dark skinless bar of minced meat. The usual order is "frikandel speciaal" — split lengthwise and filled with mayonnaise, curry ketchup and chopped onion. Note that in parts of Belgium "frikadel" instead means a meatball
Grammar Note
Takes de frikandel; the plural doubles the l: de frikandellen
patat / friet
Chips / French fries
Usage
This is the most famous north-south split in Dutch. Flanders, the three southern Dutch provinces (Zeeland, North Brabant, Limburg) and southern Gelderland say friet / frieten / frietjes; the rest of the Netherlands says patat. In Flanders and Zeeland "patat" is understood as a raw potato or a slap in the face, so use "friet" in the south. Mayonnaise is standard: the Netherlands serves a sweeter low-fat "fritessaus", Belgium real mayonnaise
Grammar Note
Both take de (de patat / de friet); in Belgium the plural "de frieten" is the normal form. Even the shop name differs: snackbar / patatzaak in the north, friettent in the south, frituur / frietkot in Flanders
patatje oorlog
Chips with mayonnaise, peanut sauce and raw onion
Usage
Literally "war chips", said to be named for the battlefield look of the piled-on sauces. The contents differ by country: in the Netherlands mayonnaise + satay (peanut) sauce + chopped raw onion; in Belgium mayonnaise + beef-stew gravy + ketchup. Regional names include friet rotzooi and patat flip
Grammar Note
"Patatje" is the diminutive of patat and is neuter: het patatje oorlog. In the south it is "frietje oorlog"
kapsalon
Chips topped with shawarma, melted cheese and salad
Usage
A Rotterdam invention of the 2000s. The name literally means "hairdresser's salon", after the barber who asked for it. Shawarma can be swapped for kebab, döner, gyros, chicken or falafel; it normally comes with garlic sauce and sambal, often served in an aluminium tray
Grammar Note
Both masculine and neuter: de kapsalon and het kapsalon occur. kap, haircut, + salon.
Hollandse nieuwe
New-season salt-cured herring
Usage
Sold at herring stalls with chopped onion and pickles. Holding it by the tail and lowering it into your mouth is the Dutch way, but you can also ask for "broodje haring" in a roll. It is the same as maatjesharing (from maagdenharing, "maiden herring": fish that carry neither milt nor roe yet). Contrary to a persistent myth, it is an early-summer catch
Grammar Note
An elliptical phrase with "haring" (masculine, de haring) understood, so de Hollandse nieuwe. "Hollandse" is the adjective from Holland
kibbeling
Battered deep-fried chunks of white fish
Usage
Sold at fish stalls with a tartare-style ravigotte sauce. The name comes from "kibbel", the cheek and gill meat of the cod (kabeljauw) — originally the unsellable cuts, so it was a poor man's food. Today pollack, hake, haddock, whiting and coley are used as well as cod
Grammar Note
Feminine noun, so de kibbeling; it is normally used as an uncountable
lekkerbekje
Whole battered fried fish fillet
Usage
Sold beside kibbeling at the same fish stalls, but it is a single uncut fillet rather than bite-sized chunks, so it works as a full portion
Grammar Note
A diminutive, therefore neuter: het lekkerbekje, plural de lekkerbekjes. From lekker (tasty) + bek (mouth) + the diminutive -je
mosselen met friet
Pot of mussels with chips
Usage
Considered a Belgian national dish, and Zeeland in the Netherlands is a major producer. In Belgium menus often use the French name moules-frites. The season runs from late summer through winter (traditionally the months with an "r"). It arrives in the cooking pot; use an empty shell as tongs
Grammar Note
The headword is plural; the singular is de mossel. A portion is normally about a kilo, so the singular is never ordered
uitsmijter
Open sandwich with ham, cheese and fried eggs
Usage
A café lunch standard: one or two slices of bread with ham and/or cheese and at least two fried eggs on top, sometimes with a gherkin and salad. The same word also means a nightclub bouncer
Grammar Note
Masculine noun, so de uitsmijter; plural de uitsmijters. From uit (out) + smijten (to throw)
tosti
Toasted ham and cheese sandwich
Usage
In the Netherlands it is a "tosti"; in Belgium and France the same thing is a croque-monsieur. Ham and cheese is the default, written "tosti ham-kaas" on menus, and it is normally cut diagonally into triangles
Grammar Note
Masculine noun, so de tosti; the plural is de tosti's — words ending in a vowel take apostrophe + s
hachee
Beef and onion stew soured with vinegar
Usage
A stew regarded as typically Dutch: cubed beef, onion, flour and stock soured with vinegar (and wine), seasoned with peppercorns, cloves and bay. It is nearly always served with red cabbage and apple or apple compote, alongside potatoes, rice or hutspot
Grammar Note
Both masculine and neuter: de hachee and het hachee occur. From French hacher, to chop finely.
Vlaams stoofvlees
Flemish beef stewed in beer
Usage
A Flemish classic: beef simmered for hours with beer, onion and mustard into a rich, sweet-savoury brown sauce, served with chips, mashed potato or bread. Also written under the French name carbonade flamande
Grammar Note
"Stoofvlees" is neuter: het stoofvlees. With a definite article the adjective takes -e (het Vlaamse stoofvlees), but the dish is usually written in the uninflected form
witte asperges
White asparagus
Usage
A very short season, roughly April to late June. A speciality of Limburg, nicknamed "wit goud" (white gold); the spears are white because they are grown underground away from the light. The classic serving is boiled, with ham, egg and melted butter
Grammar Note
The headword is plural; the singular is de asperge, plural de asperges. The adjective "wit" becomes "witte" before a plural noun
pannenkoek
Large thin Dutch pancake
Usage
Not the thick American kind: a single thin pancake covering the whole plate. Toppings can be sweet (apple, stroop syrup) or savoury (bacon, cheese). Dedicated pancake restaurants (pannenkoekenhuis) are a family outing staple
Grammar Note
Masculine noun, so de pannenkoek; plural de pannenkoeken. From pan (frying pan, linking form "pannen") + koek (cake). The 1995 spelling reform changed pannekoek to pannenkoek
poffertjes
Small puffy mini pancakes
Usage
Baked in a special dimpled pan. Unlike pannenkoeken the batter contains yeast and each one is flipped before it has fully set, so the inside stays soft. Stalls serve 10-12 on a plate with a knob of butter in the middle and icing sugar on top
Grammar Note
The headword is plural. The singular is neuter — het poffertje — with plural de poffertjes; nobody eats just one
stroopwafel
Thin waffle with caramel syrup filling
Usage
Originally "siroopwafel": two thin waffle halves with a grid pattern, joined with stroop (syrup). The local ritual is to rest one on top of a hot cup of coffee for a few minutes so the filling softens. The traditional diameter is about 10 cm, but freshly baked market ones go up to 25 cm
Grammar Note
Takes de: de stroopwafel, plural de stroopwafels. From stroop (syrup) + wafel (waffle)
oliebollen
Deep-fried dough balls eaten at New Year
Usage
Seasonal: sold from street stalls from early October to early January and traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve, filled with raisins, currants or apple and buried in icing sugar. In Flanders the equivalent is the smoutebol, usually unfilled and fried in beef fat with a beer or sparkling-water batter
Grammar Note
The headword is plural; the singular is masculine, de oliebol, plural de oliebollen. From olie (oil) + bol (ball)
speculaas
Thin crisp spiced biscuit
Usage
Flavoured with speculaaskruiden (cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and more). A Dutch and Belgian speciality tied to Sinterklaas (5 December) and Advent, often pressed in wooden moulds into figures or windmills (speculaaspop). Note that Belgian "speculoos" is a related but different biscuit made without the spice mix, yet is sometimes also called speculaas
Grammar Note
Both masculine and neuter: de speculaas and het speculaas occur.
kruidnoten
Small round spiced cookies eaten at Sinterklaas
Usage
Popularly confused with "pepernoten" but not the same thing: kruidnoten are crisp half-round cookies made with speculaas spices, while true pepernoten are soft, irregularly shaped sweets of rye flour, honey and anise (the taaitaai family). Bags labelled pepernoten usually contain kruidnoten
Grammar Note
The headword is plural; the singular is de kruidnoot, plural de kruidnoten. From kruid (spice/herb) + noot (nut)
appeltaart
Dutch-style deep apple pie
Usage
Distinct from British apple pie and French tarte aux pommes: much deeper, often with currants, raisins and cinnamon. Cafés serve it warm with whipped cream — order "appeltaart met slagroom"
Grammar Note
Takes de: de appeltaart, plural de appeltaarten. From appel (apple) + taart (tart/cake)
Limburgse vlaai
Flat Limburg fruit tart
Usage
A speciality of both Dutch and Belgian Limburg, recognised as an EU protected regional product in 2024. A yeast-dough base topped with fruit compote (cherry, apricot, plum, apple) and a lattice of dough. Served for birthdays and to welcome guests
Grammar Note
"Vlaai" takes de: de vlaai, plural de vlaaien. Limburgish dialect forms include vlaoj, flaai, vlaam and vla
tompoes
Pink-glazed custard slice
Usage
Two layers of puff pastry with confectioner's custard between and icing on top — the Dutch version of the French mille-feuille. Normally pink, it turns orange for King's Day. Also spelled "tompouce"; in Flanders sometimes called a glacéke
Grammar Note
Masculine noun, so de tompoes; the plural is de tompoezen, with s changing to z
hagelslag
Chocolate sprinkles for bread
Usage
Not a cake decoration but a breakfast spread: scattered thickly over buttered bread. Hard to find outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Indonesia and Suriname. In Belgium the colloquial name is "muizenstrontjes" (mouse droppings). Only sprinkles with at least 20% cocoa may be called chocoladehagelslag; below that they are cacaofantasie or boterhamkorrels
Grammar Note
Masculine noun, so de hagelslag; used as an uncountable, with no everyday plural. From hagel (hail) + slag (a fall/stroke)
rijsttafel
Indonesian-Dutch banquet of many small dishes
Usage
Literally "rice table": a format born in the Dutch East Indies in the late 19th century, with rice at the centre and a dozen or more small dishes around it — rendang, gado-gado, saté, sambal goreng telor — plus kroepoek (prawn crackers), atjar (pickles) and seroendeng. It is a Dutch colonial invention rather than an Indonesian custom, and the flavours were adapted to European taste
Grammar Note
Takes de: de rijsttafel, plural de rijsttafels. From rijst (rice) + tafel (table) — note the two consecutive t's
nasi goreng
Indonesian fried rice
Usage
Brought from the former colony of Indonesia and now ubiquitous in Dutch takeaways, supermarkets and canteens. In Dutch "nasi" on its own already means fried rice; the noodle equivalent is bami (bami goreng). The word entered Dutch through Malay
Grammar Note
"Nasi" is masculine: de nasi; so is bami (de bami). "Goreng" (fried) follows the noun and never inflects
saté met pindasaus
Grilled meat skewers with peanut sauce
Usage
Indonesian and Malay in origin but fully naturalised in the Netherlands, sold in snack bars and restaurants alike; chicken (saté kip) and pork (saté varkensvlees) dominate. Dutch speakers stress the second syllable, by analogy with words like "café", whereas Indonesian puts a light stress on the penultimate syllable. The same sauce over chips is "patatje pinda" or "friet saté"
Grammar Note
"Saté" takes de (de saté) and so does pindasaus. From pinda (peanut) + saus (sauce); "satésaus" is an equally common name
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