Tweet21-07-2010 om 12:00 by Amanda Potter

Summer is the perfect time to work hard and play hard as you enjoy the sunshine and your holiday. What goes better with that free time than a tasty Dutch snack?  Here are 5 tasty foods to try at home or when you’re enjoying a coffee or beer outside of of the many cafes.

Vlaai: Rhyming with “fly”, vlaai is a delicious Limburgish tart typically filled with fruit or rice pudding. It is perfect with a cup of coffee (or tea) and many cafes actually offer the pairing at a special price (3,50 to 5 euros generally).

Gelato: Gelato is actually an Italian-style ice cream that is denser and creamier than American ice cream. While soft serve is more widely available, seeking out the smooth flavor of gelato is a worthwhile summer treat.

Bitterballen: An excellent savory partner to a Limburgish pilsje, bitterballen are deep-fried balls filled with shredded meat, spices, and gravy. Most Dutch cafes and pubs serve them as an appetizer with a small bowl of mustard.

Friet: Fries, chips, patats. Whatever you call them, these thick potato fries eaten from a paper cone are delicious. Try them with mayonnaise or sate sauce Or if you want to try a slightly more “Limburgish” style get them smothered in “zuur vlees” (literally sour meat). Zuur vlees friets are great with mayonnaise.

Hangop: This thick, creamy, sour milk-based yogurt is like eating greek yogurt, except it also has a delicious sour flavor. Hangop is typically eaten as dessert and can be mixed with all sorts of things like fruit. I’ve never see hangop in a restaurant, but it is available at the grocery store or you can make it yourself at home.

Do you have a favorite treat you? Share it below.

The gelato photo is (cc) Heather on Her Travels and the friet picture is (c) Amanda Potter.

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