Wholesome, hearty!

Simple ingredients such as mashed potatoes, meat and vegetables make up Dutch cuisine

Traditional Dutch cuisine may be a rather bland and down-to-earth affair — but it's certainly wholesome and hearty. A routine Dutch meal usually includes simple ingredients such as mashed potatoes, vegetables and meats including horsemeat. Meatballs served with gravy and potatoes are also popular.

The ubiquitous potato that thrives in the black, fertile soil of the lowlands is a staple food in Holland. Ever since the Spaniards introduced this new world food (which was originally grown in Peru) to Europe, potato has found its way into every traditional Dutch recipe — from hutspot (a hotchpotch of potato and carrots served with sausage), to stampot, (a hotchpotch of potato, carrot, sauerkraut or endive served with sausage), to the favourite fast-food item patat frites, (which are thicker version of French fries served with mayonnaise instead of ketchup), potato is an indispensable component of most Dutch menus. The famous painting The Potato Eaters by Vincent van Gogh, showing four peasants sitting around a table with a platter of potatoes illustrates the deep-rooted inroads the tuber has made into the dining tradition of the country.

Old-fashioned recipes

The old-fashioned Dutch recipes do not call for the use of pungent herbs and spices. As a matter of fact, spices such as black pepper, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, and cloves, etc. were first introduced to Holland in the 17th century, when the Dutch East India Company set up trading bases in South East Asia, from where the Dutch seamen bought home silks and spices. The Dutch also established colonies in America, Indonesia, and in Surinam, from where the huge merchant ships returned with a variety of new foodstuffs, including chile pepper, ginger, vanilla, coffee, tea, tobacco, pineapple, etc.

When Surinam, (formerly Dutch Guiana on South America's northeast coast), gained its independence from the Netherlands, many Surinamers immigrated to Holland. The influx of citizens from the former Dutch colonies created a culinary 'melting pot', the effect of which is all too visible in today's Holland. Cities such as Amsterdam have several specialty stores catering to the immigrants' penchant for fiery food by selling a variety of hot peppers such as red and yellow Dutch Hots, or the imported ayuma peppers grown in Surinam. Foods and spices from all over the world are gradually replacing the traditional Dutch meals.

The Indonesian rijsttafel (rice table) — a plate of rice or noodles accompanied by lots of little spicy side dishes has been a favourite here for centuries. Even shawarma — the Middle-Eastern kebab consisting of highly spiced meat rolled in pita bread — is gaining popularity as a late night take-away snack. Food outlets representing Holland's multicultural backgrounds including Thai, Chinese, Arabian, Indian, Indonesian, Italian, Mexican, Caribbean and Spanish restaurants, have mushroomed all over the country, introducing the bland Dutch palate to the hot and spicy delights of exotic plates. Potatoes still continue to dominate the Dutch menu, but it is not unusual to eat it sprinkled with chile pepper.

However, despite the popularity of exotic cuisines, traditional Dutch cooking shows no sign of losing its appeal for the locals. Most traditional foods reflect Holland's agricultural past by making a generous use of the local produce such as bread, potatoes, fish, root vegetables, greens, meats and a variety of Dutch cheeses. The Dutch usually start their day with bread and coffee or tea; eat some more bread (with cheese) in the afternoon. The evening meal is the main meal of the day, when the whole family sits down for a hot meal. Dinner usually begins with a soup. The main dish is usually boiled potatoes and vegetables, accompanied by cooked meat or fish. Rice or other cereal, pulses or pasta may be served instead of potatoes. Thick soups and stews are normal winter fare — the most famous being erwtensoep, a hearty pea and ham soup containing the ubiquitous smoked sausage and brown bean soup (bruinebonensoep) with brown beans replacing the peas.

Fruits, candies or cakes, etc. are usually eaten between the meals. Cafeterias and snack outlets are found everywhere selling all kinds of filled rolls and deep-fried snacks. Most notable of these is the 'kroket', which is a kind of deep-fried meat ragout, coated in breadcrumbs. Sandwiches sold in the sidewalk stalls and cafes are often very inviting, especially the broodjes, large bread rolls with varied and generous fillings. Poffertjes, small pancakes traditionally served warm with butter and lots of powdered sugar sprinkled on top, are also popular.

Holland borders the North Sea, so a lot of fish is eaten both smoked and fresh. The Netherlands has a rich tradition of fishing — the first inhabitants of Holland were fishermen. Stalls selling seafood, including ready-to-eat fried fish, are common in all Dutch towns. Common seafood selections range from grilled fish and shellfish to fish stews and raw herring. A typical Dutch delicacy is eating a raw herring (zoute haring or salted herring) with raw onions. The way to eat the fish, usually as a snack, is to hold the beheaded fish by its tail over one's mouth and let is slide into your mouth gradually. The first catch of the season called Hollandse nieuwe (Dutch new one) is considered a special treat and is eaten after it has been gutted, salted, matured and filleted in the traditional Dutch way.

Eating herring dates back to 3000 B.C. when it was first eaten in Scandinavia. Eating raw herring may be extremely popular with the natives, but the uninitiated have to acquire a taste for it. Smoked eels are also considered a great delicacy. Different types of pickled herring such as matjes, schmaltz, kipper, and bismarck are prepared by curing the fresh catch in salt brines of varying strengths. The bismarck herring is so called because it was the favourite food of the German Chancellor Bismarck, who reportedly loved the taste of raw herring marinated in vinegar and salt.

Every year, the herring season in Holland opens on a Saturday, in late May with a festival called Vlaggetjesdag, or Flag Day. Large and small ships are decorated with flags in rainbow colours in the harbour at Scheveningen, a vacation resort and seaport located near The Hague. This is a tradition dating back to the 14th century, when fishermen went out to sea in their small boats to capture the annual catch. Today, this ritual has become a regular tourist attraction and a way of promoting the new herring season.

The Dutch have a great fondness for cheese and milk products. Dutch cheese, of course, is one of the gustatory glories of the Netherlands. Cheese is usually consumed with bread in sandwiches (broodjes), or with the light crispy Dutch crackers. Every shopping street in Holland has one or more cheese shops with huge wheels of Gouda or other cheese lining the shelves. A lot of cheese is consumed and whole cheeses can still be found on display in shops. Pieces are cut and sliced while you wait.

Dutch cuisine has certainly come a long way since the days when Vincent Van Gogh painted his legendary painting Aardappeleters (The Potato Eaters) showing a traditional meal consisting nothing more exciting than po