Dutch recipes (English)

Food habits

The people in the Netherlands had other "food habits" than other people on the continent, in the United Kingdom or in the United States of America. Nowadays our food habits are similar to those in other western countries. Nevertheless I will give you a short introduction to our daily meals.

Breakfast

For breakfast we have bread and butter, or sandwiches with jam, peanutbutter, cheese or "ontbijtkoek" (see recipe **). Or we have a bowl of porridge or cornflakes. We drink tea with it, or milk, maybe buttermilk. Sometimes we have a boiled egg and children may have some fruityoghurt or fruit. Breakfast seems to loose it's popularity because most people don't have time for it anymore.

Coffee

At 11 o’clock we drink one or more cups of black coffee or with cream or milk.

Lunch

At lunchtime we have another bread and butter meal. Maybe some rolls are put on the table (krentenbroodjes, cadetjes, croissants) and Dutch rusks topped with cheese or jam. With it we have some meat, liver, or ham, cheese or sometimes a fried egg or two or an omelette. Fruits finish off the meal with which we drink coffee, milk, buttermilk.

Tea

At 4 o’clock it is teatime, a cup of tea and a biscuit is quite usual. For special occasions we produce fancy cakes, cookies or chocolates.

Dinner

At 6 o’clock it is dinner time. Our first hot meal, mainly consisting of: meat or fish with vegetables and potatoes, sometimes fruit or yoghurt to finish. Coffee may be served after the meal, but is mostly not taken at the dinner table. (In some parts of the Netherlands the hot meal is served at midday and a bread and butter meal in the evening). The Dutch consume more and more exotic meals, like Thai and Italian food.

Tea or coffee

At 8 o’clock coffee again, some people prefer tea. Cookies, cake or more elaborate baked sweet is offered, when we have guests. Some people like to drink beer or wine. Maybe liqueur or whisky during weekends. Mind you, you will not find an authentic Dutch meal in hotels or restaurants.

Please look for more information about the Netherlands on top of the Menu: Landen en Recepten, Nederland.

Recipe Dutch spice cake (ontbijtkoek) **

Ingredients:

2 cups self rising flour, ½ cup dark brown sugar (demerara sugar), 1/3 cup molasses or treacle, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp. each ground cloves, cinnamon and ginger, ½ tsp. grated nutmeg, pinch of salt.

Preparations:

Combine all the ingredients to a smooth paste. Butter a oblong 8" x 3" cake tin, fill with dough and bake about one hour in a slow oven (300° F.). When cooked, allow to cool and keep in a tin or in the bread-bin for 24 hour before serving. This cake keep moist when put in the bread-bin with the bread. The Dutch serve it with their "elevenses", buttered or on a slice of bread for breakfast.

Bron: (aangepast) de Hollandse Pot