Top 11 Foods To Try in Amsterdam & Their Ties To Dutch History

This list of the 11 best foods to try in Amsterdam is sure to make you hungry for an exciting trip to the Dutch capital.

Exploring the culinary traditions of a new destination is more than just a delight for the senses. It is a gateway to understanding the place, its people, and history, as well as geography and cultural evolution. 

This is especially true for Amsterdam and the Netherlands, where each and every one of these 11 foods to try in Amsterdam tells a fascinating story.

A story of people who reclaimed their land from the sea. A story of the Dutch innovative spirit and its effect on technology and business alike. A story of maritime exploration, global trade, discovery, and exploitation. 

Join us as we delve into Dutch cuisine, blending a foodie’s listicle with an in-depth tour of the history and culture behind these flavors.

Understanding Dutch Cuisine

To begin understanding Dutch cuisine, we need to look back a little bit at Dutch history and geography. 

Swamps & Land Reclamation

For centuries, the lands surrounding modern-day Amsterdam were bogs and swamps, unsuitable for growing crops. Not only that. Nearly a fifth of what we now know as the Netherlands was underwater before the 13th century.

This changed with the invention of wind-driven water pumps, which drained the land more effectively. You may be familiar with the look of these pumps as we are, of course, talking about the iconic Dutch windmills. As the old saying goes: God created the World but the Dutch created the Netherlands.

Seafaring & Trade

The frequent flooding and swampiness of the land gave rise to another defining characteristic of the Dutch: they took to the sea. What the land could not give was supplemented by fishing and trade. Over the centuries, the Dutch innovated – and ultimately almost monopolized – both.

From pioneering new methods of preserving fish to essentially inventing the stock market, the sea is deeply intertwined with Dutch history.

One of the most vibrant European cities today, Amsterdam was originally a fishing village. It transformed into one of the world’s most important ports during the 17th century, a period known as the Dutch Golden Age. 

The infamous Dutch East India Company (VOC), a consolidation of several expedition companies, became one of the world’s most powerful entities with a monopoly over the trade of spices such as nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon.

As the first company ever to issue stock for public trading, VOC not only transformed Amsterdam but also had a profound impact on Southeast Asia, particularly present-day Indonesia.

While we will later lightheartedly explore the reflections of this period in Dutch cuisine, it’s important to acknowledge the darker aspects of Dutch colonialism.

VOC’s shift from traders to colonizers is for example starkly marked by their conquest of the Banda Islands, where the Dutch nearly eradicated the entire local population in their pursuit of a nutmeg monopoly.

Top 11 Foods To Try in Amsterdam

1. Dutch Cheese

Dutch name: Kaas (Gouda, Edammer, etc)
English name: Dutch cheese
Flavor: savory
Category: staple, ingredient
TLDR: different kinds of cheeses like Gouda and Edam
Where to eat: in cheese stores all over Amsterdam, don’t be shy and ask for samples
Dietary restrictions: cow’s milk, rennet

Most Dutch cheeses are semi-hard varieties made from rich cow’s milk. Their iconic flat cylindrical shape and bright yellow color have become symbols of the Netherlands. This distinctive shape comes from molds used to press the cheese curds.

After pressing, the cheese is cured and aged in a controlled environment for anywhere from a few weeks to over two to five years. While most Dutch dairy farms sell their milk for industrial cheese production, many farmers still handcraft Boerenkaas (farmer’s cheese) from fresh raw milk, preserving traditional methods and flavors.

Historical Connection

People in the area have been grazing cattle and making cheese for centuries. Julius Caesar himself remarked on the cheese-making ability of the local people as early as 58 BC. Of course, much has changed since.

First, more land was reclaimed from the sea. This wetland wasn’t immediately suitable for crop cultivation. But grass thrived on these polders, supporting cattle grazing and producing milk of great quality. 

Dutch farmers have also successfully crossbred cows capable of greater milk production. By the 16th and 17th centuries, Dutch cows were producing twice as much milk as their European counterparts. Holstein cows, originating in the Netherlands, now make up around 90% of cows on US dairy farms.

By the 16th century, the Dutch were exporting their surplus cheese across Europe and remain the second-largest exporters of cheese in the world today.

Dairy is a symbol of Dutch culture, epitomized by one of the most famous Dutch Golden Age paintings depicting a humble kitchen maid pouring milk into a pot – The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer.

Fun Fact

Cheeses are often named after the cities they were traded in, rather than necessarily the places of their origin. Both Gouda cheese and Edam cheese are named after towns in the Netherlands that are famous for their historic cheese markets.

2. Stamppot

Dutch name: Stamppot
English name: Mash pot
Flavor: savory
Category: full meal
TLDR: basically a hearty twist on mashed potatoes
Where to eat: traditional restaurants, like De Blauwe Hollander
Dietary restrictions: butter

The most common answer to What is the most traditional Dutch food?, stamppot combines mashed potatoes with one or several vegetables like sauerkraut, endives, kale, spinach, or turnip greens.

Boiled potatoes and vegetables are drained and mashed together with butter, salt, pepper, and parsley.

Stamppot is commonly served with a sausage but is available with other pairings as well. Often described as a comfort meal, it might just be the perfect dish for bad weather days in fall and winter. Each region of the Netherlands has its own twist on this traditional dish.

Historical Connection

The simplicity of the dish itself made it an ideal meal for farmers, who would just mix leftover seasonal vegetables and potatoes, especially during harvest season. Even sailors were able to cook stamppot on long sea journeys.

The exact origins of the dish are not clear, but it has remained a staple in Dutch cuisine through the colder months or periods of food scarcity.

One of the stamppot variations made with potatoes, carrots, and onions is called hutspot. According to legend, after the Siege of Leiden (a city southwest of Amsterdam), a young orphan found a cooking pot full of hutspot left behind by fleeing Spanish forces.

3. Broodje Haring

Dutch name: Broodje Haring
English name: Herring sandwich
Flavor: savory
Category: street food, sandwich
TLDR: cold sandwich made of a white bun, a slice of salt-cured herring, gherkins, and raw onions
Where to eat: Fishmonger stands called Vishandels – like Frens Haringhandel or Volendammer Vishandel
Dietary restrictions: fish (herring), gluten (bread)

The perfect snack on the go, a simple herring sandwich is bound to satisfy medium hunger for very little money. The sour taste of pickled gherkins and the sharp, pungent bite of raw onions perfectly complement the fish’s flavors, while the soft, tender white bun balances the sandwich to perfection.

You can also enjoy soused herring the Dutch way by picking the fish up by its tail, tilting your head back, and slowly savoring its slimy goodness.

Historical Connection

Herring has always been popular with the Dutch, but at first, they were still predominantly buyers rather than sellers. That was all about to change and by the end of the 15th century, the Dutch would essentially monopolize the entire herring export market thanks to their ingenuity. 

Dutch people were the first to process herring immediately on board their ships. This innovation meant fishermen no longer needed to return to shore to process their catch, allowing them to sail further and longer, catching more fish and gaining deeper insights into their behavior.

Coupled with improvements in fishing nets, boat design, and overall fishing strategy, the Dutch quickly cornered the market, becoming the largest exporters of herring between the 15th and 18th centuries, despite being smaller and farther from herring-rich waters than other countries.

Fun fact

Even though the fish used in Broodje Haring and even Hollandse Nieuwe is often described as raw herring, it actually refers to fish that have been preserved in salt (soused herring). Nowadays, a requirement to also deep freeze the fish further eliminates risks associated with eating raw fish.

4. Kibbeling

Dutch name: Kibbeling
English name: also Kibbeling
Flavor: savory
Category: snack, street food
TLDR: deep-fried battered fish pieces served with dipping sauce
Where to eat: Fish stands like Frens Haringhandel
Dietary restrictions: fish, possibly gluten

Kibbeling is a popular Dutch treat and, at the risk of sounding biased, one of the best things you can taste in Amsterdam. Bite-sized pieces of white fish are spiced, battered, and fried in hot oil to crispy perfection, served with a delicious dipping sauce of your choice like mayonnaise or garlic sauce.  

Historical Connection

In the 19th century, cod was a relatively inexpensive fish and a staple of the Dutch diet. Traditionally, kibbeling was made from cod cheeks and other leftover parts of cod, or kabeljauw in Dutch, to ensure no part of the fish went to waste.

Nowadays, however, cod is rarely used due to its much higher price, as it has been vastly overfished in the last century. Instead, other white fish (often unspecified) are used.

5. Rijsttafel

Dutch name: Rijsttafel
English name: Rice table
Flavor: savory (but also spicy, sour, sweet, etc)
Category: a feast
TLDR: rice accompanied by seven to forty various side dishes of Indonesian origin
Where to eat: Indonesian restaurants, like Restaurant Max

Like a miniature banquet of mouth-watering exotic dishes, rijsttafel – meaning rice table – is a showcase of various cuisines from across the Indonesian archipelago.

It features meat skewers, fermented soybeans, rich curries, vegetables in coconut sauce, and countless other delicacies, all served with generous portions of fluffy steamed rice.

A multi-course rijsttafel dinner adds some much-needed spice to your exploration of this beautiful European capital and is perfect for sharing with a partner or a group of loved ones.

According to the Indonesian embassy in the Netherlands, there were about 400 Indonesian culinary businesses across the country in 2022, 74 of which were located in Amsterdam, so don’t miss out.

Historical Connection

As already mentioned, the Dutch colonized various islands in present-day Indonesia starting in the late 16th century. Initially established as outposts of the Dutch East India Company, Dutch control expanded over the territories following an 1814 treaty with the British and lasted until Indonesian independence in 1945. 

It is from the mansions of the wealthy Dutch colonists that we have rijsttafel today. They acquired a taste for Indonesian food through their local domestic servants and sought a way to showcase their colonies’ exotic riches to visitors.

Thus, rijsttafel, a feast consisting of numerous popular dishes from across the colony, was born. When Indonesia declared independence, Dutch colonists and people of Eurasian descent returned to the Netherlands, bringing rijsttafel with them.

However, as the dish was somewhat symbolic of the colonial past, it was rejected by locals and remains rare in Indonesia today.

Fun Fact

If you’re traveling alone, try ordering Nasi Campur – a scoop of white rice accompanied by small portions of other dishes.

6. Patatje Oorlog

Dutch name: Patatje Oorlog
English name: War Fries, Oorlog fries, loaded fries
Flavor: savory
Category: snack, street food
TLDR: loaded fries with mayo, onions, and peanut sauce
Where to eat: fry shops like Sausmeester (Vleminckx), established in 1957
Dietary restrictions: peanuts, mayo

Most likely named after the mess you make when eating them, these War Fries are a filling and enjoyable snack and one of the best foods to try in Amsterdam.

They consist of a generous portion of fries topped with delicious condiments like mayonnaise, thick peanut satay sauce of Indonesian origin, finely chopped raw onions, spicy sambal oelek, and a touch of sweet soy sauce.

Historical Connection

The term War Fries is commonly attributed to the dish’s messy appearance, whether that’s after eating them or even before. However, as a blend of Dutch and Indonesian flavors, it also evokes reflections of war and conflict.

Potatoes, imported to Europe from the Americas by Spanish conquistadors, form the base of this dish. The origin of French fries is still disputed between France and Belgium.

Topped with Indonesian sauces, these fries remind the eater of the Dutch colonial past. In your paper cone with patatje oorlog, you carry centuries of human history; and yet the origin of this particular recipe remains a mystery.

7. Bitterballen

Dutch name: Bitterballen (singular: Bitterbal)
English name: Meatballs
Flavor: savory
Category: snack, pub food
TLDR: deep-fried breaded balls with a meaty filling
Where to eat: bars, beer spots
Dietary restrictions: meat, gluten, butter, egg

Crispy and crunchy on the outside with a rich, gooey inside, bitterballen might just be the perfect beer snack. The bitter in the name doesn’t describe their flavor but rather suggests that you should pair them with a bitter drink like Dutch Jenever (essentially gin) or a simple pint of beer.

A plate of bitterballen with a dollop of mustard on the side is ideal for sharing among friends over a few drinks. The molten interior of a bitterbal consists of what is essentially a beef gravy, though other meats or ingredients can be used. And when we say molten, we mean molten – please don’t burn your mouth with a bitterbal!

The gravy, mixed with buttery roux, is chilled and solidified, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried to a crispy golden brown. And yes, vegetarian and even vegan variants exist and are readily available in Amsterdam.

Historical Connection

The origin of the bitterbal is unclear. Many sources claim that they came from the 16th-century Spanish occupation, as the Spaniards tried to recreate their familiar tapas-style dishes using Dutch ingredients, such as the already popular leftover meat ragouts.

However, other sources insist on Spanish croquetas becoming a staple much later, adopted from the French (the first mention of a French croquet we were able to verify comes from 1693).

Regardless of where exactly they came from, we know where they ended up. Bitterballen are not only popular in the Netherlands, but also made their way to the former colonies and are enjoyed in places like Indonesia and Suriname.

Fun Fact

Kroketten, another Dutch snack staple, are essentially the same as bitterballen, just in a different format. While bitterballen are round, kroketten are long and cylindrical.

8. Appeltaart

Dutch name: Appeltaart
English name: Dutch apple pie
Flavor: sweet
Category: dessert
TLDR: lattice-style apple pie, usually served with whipped cream
Where to eat: cafés, we recommend De Koffieschenkerij for the ambiance
Dietary restrictions: dairy, eggs

This sweet lattice-style apple pie has been a staple in Dutch households for centuries. It’s one of those “just like my grandma used to make” recipes, complete with slight variations from family to family.

The butter-rich dough is pressed over the bottom and sides of an oven pan to form the perfect crust. The pie is then filled with sliced juicy apples often mixed with cinnamon, lemon juice, nutmeg, or even raisins.

The resulting pie, served with whipped cream alongside your cup of coffee, might just be the perfect afternoon treat. Frankly, you shouldn’t leave Amsterdam without trying a slice.

Historical connection

People have been sharing and recording recipes throughout history, but those documents have often not survived for us to learn from. Not to mention that the conditions in which we usually handle recipes and cookbooks are not ideal for historical preservation.

Commonly, a dish’s history is solidified with its first mention in a printed cookbook, as the printing press made it possible for text to be replicated endlessly. Such is the case for the appeltaart.

At the start of the 16th century, when the art of book printing was less than 70 years old, the first printed Dutch cookbook came off the press. In it, it hid the first recorded simple recipe for an appeltaart.

It has only slightly changed since then and has rightfully held its position as a Dutch classic ever since. The dough made with a generous amount of butter and the usual dollop of whipped cream on the side also remind us of the importance of dairy in the Dutch diet.

9. Pannenkoeken

Dutch name: Pannenkoeken or Pannekoeken (former spelling)
English name: Dutch pancakes
Flavor: sweet, savory, or any combination thereof
Category: meal
TLDR: large Dutch pancakes (thicker than crepes but thinner than American pancakes) with all kinds of toppings and fillings
Where to eat: Dutch pannenkoekenhuizen – pancake houses
Dietary restrictions: dairy, eggs

For many people across the world, pancakes symbolize a nice, sweet breakfast. Not for the Dutch. Here, pancakes are a lunch or dinner affair.

Dutch pancakes are somewhere between a delicate French crepe and a thick American pancake and can be topped or filled with all kinds of treats. Indulge in sweet variations with apples, raisins, strawberries, or Nutella, or try savory options with bacon, cheese, or mushrooms.

For the best of both worlds, try the popular apple and bacon pancakes. Enjoy a plate of these delicious creations at one of the local specialized pannenkoekenhuizen, or pancake houses, and experience a true Dutch culinary treat.

Historical Connection

A family gathers around a small fire. A central figure, most often an older woman in a white starched cap, holds a pan with a long handle over the fire. She’s making pancakes. Small, chubby children observe her work or gnaw on already-cooked pancakes.

The pannenkoekenbakster or koekenbakster was a popular motif for sketches and etchings for Dutch artists of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Paintings of the Dutch Golden Age often depicted simple domestic scenes, unlike in the rest of Europe, which was still mostly preoccupied with religious art.

Many of these pancake women, including one etched by Rembrandt himself, can be seen in the Rijksmuseum’s online collection, which we highly recommend browsing in general.

Fun Fact

Americans might be familiar with the term Dutch baby or Dutch baby pancake (sometimes called a German pancake).

This dish is likely neither Dutch nor a pancake. Firstly, its origin is commonly ascribed to an early 20th-century Seattle-based restaurant. And secondly, to make a Dutch baby, you need an oven instead of a stovetop.

10. Poffertjes

Dutch name: Poffertjes
English name: Dutch mini pancakes
Flavor: sweet
Category: dessert, snack
TLDR: small, round, fluffy pancakes served with butter and powdered sugar
Where to eat: fair stalls, pancake restaurants, Dutch restaurants
Dietary restrictions: dairy, eggs

Poffertjes are a Dutch festival and fair staple, a treat enjoyed during celebrations of all kinds. Whether at summer festivals, holiday markets, or even weddings, poffertjes have their place wherever joy is found.

Their name comes from the Dutch word pof, meaning puff, a fitting description for these fluffy little pancakes.

To make poffertjes, you need a special pan called a poffertjespan, a large frying pan with 12 to 15 perfectly round indentations that transform the bubbly batter into delicious bite-sized pancakes.

Savor them with simple butter and sugar or indulge in more elaborate variations, just as long as you remember to try them on your visit to Amsterdam.

Historical Connection

We may never know exactly where these small round pancakes originated, but what we do know is that they’ve been connected to fairs and festivals since their very beginning.

The first documented mention of poffertjes comes from an early 18th-century traveler’s description of an Amsterdam fair. A cursory look at 19th-century mentions of poffertjes available on Google Books makes the dish’s connection to fairs and festivals even clearer.

Fairgoers describe beautiful stalls and eager poffertjes ladies, inviting people to buy their sugary creations. Allegedly, an average of 700 plates of poffertjes a day were sold at a fair in Amsterdam in 1875.

11. Stroopwafel

Dutch name: Stroopwafel
English name: Stroopwafel, syrup waffle
Flavor: sweet
Category: dessert, sweet snack, street food
TLDR: halved thin wafer with sweet syrup inside
Where to eat: stroopwafel stands or shops
Dietary restrictions: dairy, eggs

Stroopwafels are essentially large, round cookies made from a single thin wafer (thicker than a biscuit wafer but much thinner than a waffle) that has been halved and filled with a layer of dark, thick, sweet syrup. This luscious filling consists of molasses-like stroop, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon.

While packs of stroopwafels can be bought all over the world, the Netherlands is the best place to try a fresh stroopwafel straight from the waffle iron. We promise that this is a completely different tasting experience and certainly worth visiting one of Amsterdam’s many stroopwafel shops for.

Take one to-go in a napkin or sit down and put a stroopwafel over your coffee cup to soften the wafer just right—the way the Dutch love to enjoy it.

Historical Connection

One thing you might have noticed is that Dutch treats seem to be on the sweeter side. And maybe Amsterdammers’ sweet tooth can be traced back to their history, too.

By 1662, the Dutch Republic dominated the sugar trade, supplying more than half of the refined sugar consumed in Europe, with numerous refineries active in Amsterdam.

Sugar became so widely available that elaborate sculptures made from sugar were regular decorations at aristocratic banquets, signaling the host’s wealth and affluence. Where did they get all this sugar?

In 1630, the Dutch West India Company (WIC) conquered the Portuguese settlement of Pernambuco, a region in today’s Brazil that was one of the biggest producers of sugarcane at the time.

Although Dutch Brazil did not last long – barely two decades – it cemented the Dutch’s role in global sugar production and trade, including the transatlantic slave trade.

The Dutch also had various colonies across the Dutch Caribbean, including Suriname, Curaçao, Aruba, and a few other islands in the Lesser Antilles, where sugarcane was grown as well.

Sample The Best Food in Amsterdam With JayWay

We hope that by now, you’re not only excited about all the delicious treats you’ll get to taste on your next JayWay adventure in Amsterdam but also intrigued by the rich and complex history of the Netherlands. 

You imagine yourself tasting artisanal cheese at a small farm outside the city, a perfect day trip that your JayWay Travel representative can easily add to your Low Countries itinerary.

You picture yourself savoring delicious fish treats at a local fishmonger stand between sightseeing stops or indulging in an exquisite Indonesian rice feast in the evening.

You know to opt for lunch pancakes instead of breakfast ones. You are ready to experience a warm, gooey stroopwafel with a fresh cup of coffee.

But beyond the culinary delights that await your taste buds, you’ve also gained insight into the Dutch. How they advanced technology and society, their dreams and ambitions, and some of the darker chapters of their past.

Dive deeper into this fascinating food scene through its culture and history with an on-site exploration of the best foods to try in Amsterdam on your next Netherlands trip.