Middle Ages
Dairy and grain base
Cheese, bread and simple stews formed the backbone of the Dutch diet.
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Cuisine book · 3 cities · 5 dishes
Netherlands
Cheese markets, herring stalls and a colonial spice legacy
Dutch cuisine is unpretentious and dairy-heavy at its root, but centuries of trade brought Indonesian spice and rijsttafel feasts into the everyday national menu.
History
Where it all comes from
1600s
Golden Age trade
The Dutch East India Company brought spices, sugar and coffee into everyday Dutch cooking.
1800s
Herring and street food
Raw herring stalls became fixtures of Dutch port cities.
1945 — 1960s
Indonesian repatriation
Returnees from the former Dutch East Indies brought rijsttafel and satay firmly into Dutch cuisine.
Today
Café and snack culture
Frituur snack bars and modern bistros balance the traditional heavy Dutch table.
Jump to a city
City 1 of 3
Amsterdam
Herring stalls and colonial-era spice dishes side by side.
Haring
Centuries-old herring tradition
Raw soused herring eaten by the tail with onions, a street classic.
Rijsttafel
Colonial-era Indonesian import
A multi-dish rice feast inherited from the Dutch East Indies.
City 2 of 3
Gouda
The cheese-market town that gave the world its namesake wheel.
Gouda cheese
Since the 12th century
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese aged from mild to intensely nutty.
City 3 of 3
Utrecht
Home comfort food and syrupy waffles.
Stroopwafel
Late 18th century, Gouda origin but nationwide
Thin waffles filled with warm caramel syrup, best fresh off a market griddle.
Stamppot
Traditional Dutch winter dish
Mashed potato mixed with kale or endive, served with smoked sausage.
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