Amsterdam – and I’m guessing most of Holland – is not generally known for its outstanding, sitting-on-a-bench-fifty-years-later-and-suddenly-thinking-“wouldn’t that be great!” food. Good beer, yes. Good tulips, yes. Good finely crafted Delftware, more than you can imagine. But food… not so much.
And I’m not including cheese. Cheese – to me – is still an appetizer, or something to accompany a nice glass of wine and some incriminating photos. Because Holland has got great cheese, what with Edam and Gouda being just around the corner. And you know what they say about Gouda… yeah, that’s right… it’s fabulous.
But Nina and I set out anyway hoping to find something Bizarre Foods-worthy. Having already tried the patat frites, and some oddly textured supermarket fruit snacks (Red Band Truly Smoothy? Only 29kcal per portie! Oh wait… one portie = two snoepjes…) we turned our attention to dutch pancakes and raw herring.
I had heard mixed things about the pancakes – here known as Panenkoeken – and pretty much agree, and will pitch my ‘eh’ into the mix. They’re basically thick crepes topped with pizza ingredients – ham, cheese, pineapple, tomato, mushrooms – but after having some pretty great thin crepes stuffed with more unique filler, I prefer the latter.
And I’m not including cheese. Cheese – to me – is still an appetizer, or something to accompany a nice glass of wine and some incriminating photos. Because Holland has got great cheese, what with Edam and Gouda being just around the corner. And you know what they say about Gouda… yeah, that’s right… it’s fabulous.
But Nina and I set out anyway hoping to find something Bizarre Foods-worthy. Having already tried the patat frites, and some oddly textured supermarket fruit snacks (Red Band Truly Smoothy? Only 29kcal per portie! Oh wait… one portie = two snoepjes…) we turned our attention to dutch pancakes and raw herring.
I had heard mixed things about the pancakes – here known as Panenkoeken – and pretty much agree, and will pitch my ‘eh’ into the mix. They’re basically thick crepes topped with pizza ingredients – ham, cheese, pineapple, tomato, mushrooms – but after having some pretty great thin crepes stuffed with more unique filler, I prefer the latter.
The raw herring, on the other hand, was… different. You can order it one of two ways: either straight up on a plate (with optional pickle and onions), or on a roll with the same condiments (broodje haring). Our book recommended Jonk’s Herring Cart, but we found a charming little stand in the Albert Cuypmarket (a great open-air market 20-30min by foot south of Dam Square) and decided to go for it. Here’s me doing my best Andrew Zimmern:
It really wasn’t all that bad – if you like raw, slimy, fishy-tasting fish. The biggest, most pleasant surprise was the pickle – so much so that I bought one to go. It was somewhat sweet – like a gerkhin – but not overpowering in flavor, and was extremely refreshing. I could feel my electrolytes being repleted, it was incredible. They should make a sports drink out of that pickle’s brine. Pickleade – I’d buy it.
We’ve not much time left in the Netherlands, but I’m still keeping an eye out for that Dutch apple pie… I know it’s around here somewhere… I will find you…
4 comments:
Dude, I feel like I am almost there with you. You are very bold to be trying some of those interesting foods; not sure if I could do it. I also must say that you use words that I have to look up in a dictionary. Just like I tell Beth, you are smarter than me!
gege,I thought you were freezing? How come you are still in just a shirt and a suit jacket outdoor???
This entry is so much fun to read. Loved the pickleade idea. good luck on the apple pie. Should be good enough to make up for the pancakes. I mean, honestly, how can anyone not make a good apple pie?
mom
"fishy-tasting" fish... nice. don't be unfaithful and forget the scottish pastie!!!
The video is pure Bizzare Foods. Your Zimmern impression is spot-on.
PS. Cheese - to me - is a food group.
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