“Dutch food: think outside the box”

Evelyne lives in Leusden, in the middle of the Netherlands. Close to Amersfoort, where she was born. She has her own business and works as an online marketeer and social media expert for female entrepreneurs. Evelyne helps them with social media strategies, social media optimisation etc. Next to that she owns a travel blog about fit and affordable travelling: TravelGloss.eu. Evelyne tells you how to spot a real Dutchman at the dining table and what her favorite stamppot is.

A typical Dutchie

Although she is half Dutch and half Canadian, her cultural background is foremost Dutch. “I love eating cheese and bread, which in my eyes makes me a typical Dutchie. Next to that I am pretty direct, but I have a warm heart and I always want to help everyone.”

“As long as I know I have been eating typical Dutch food, but I actually have a preference for Italian and Indonesian food. Probably because I had a lot of that when I was younger. My dad makes the best spaghetti and during my trip in Indonesia I fell in love with their beautiful food culture.”

Dutch dining etiquette

What is a typical experience of Dutch food culture? Evelyne tells about some Dutch dining etiquette: “We are Always eating with knife and fork and trying to eat quietly at the table. We like to eat without making noise.”

Winter time food 

Eating a lot of stamppot during winter time is also very Dutch. Stamppot mostly consist of a lot of potatoes mashed into one dish with one kind of vegetable, gravy and meat. “My favorite stamppot is boerenkool stamppot, which is made of kale, potatoes, gravy, bacon and a smoked sausage.”

Cheese and bread: yum! 

Evelynes favorite Dutch food is organic cheese. Stamppot and fresh bread (still crisp and warm) are also favorite Dutch foods. What she likes the most? “Cheese and bread. Especially a combination of both. From the grill, cold or on a sandwich with some pesto, tomato and lettuce. Yum!”

Think outside the box

What advice does Evelyne wants to give to a person who wants to eat Dutch food for the first time? “Think outside the box. There is more to Dutch food culture than just bread, cheese and stamppot. The Dutch food culture is interwoven with other eating cultures. So sometimes it’s hard to spot! But look closely to see if you can spot something Dutch in there.”