Dutch Cuisine

Italian. Mexican. Chinese. All these bring to mind a different set of wonderful foods. The smells, the spice, the flavor— all unique to that country. Even the French are known for their fabulous pastries. But what about the Dutch? What are Dutch foods? And can you even find them here in Holland, MI?

The truth is that the Dutch are a very practical people, even when it comes to food. One common Dutch meal, stamp-pot, is actually designed to use up any of your leftovers and make them into a full, new meal. Other Dutch cuisine takes advantage of basic, hearty ingredients. Good ol’ bread, meat, and cheese are the stars of almost any dish. The true talent of the Dutch is finding so many ways to prepare, combine, and cook these three main things. The West Michigan breed of Dutch have had to take a different approach to food. They have been forced to adapt to an environment which is shockingly lacking in cows and to embrace foods with little or no cheese. But we have made the adjustment with admirable success. The only noticeable difference this has created is that you can walk the streets of Holland and find almost everything except for a Dutch restaurant. 

That’s not to say there is no Dutch food in Holland, MI. It is simply scattered throughout the city. Big Lake Brewing has a wonderful appetizer called bitterballen. These Dutch snacks are small, deep fried balls with a creamy gravy and hearty beef inside. Big Lake Brewing also has a version of stamp-pot! (Don’t worry. They don’t make theirs out of leftovers.) Another place to get a taste of Dutch food is DeBoer Bakkerij. Bread is, of course, available there, as well as the Dutch cookie, krakelingen. DeBoer’s has other great Dutch baked goods, too.  Despite being started by a Dutch family, Russ’ restaurant began as a hamburger shop and has stuck to mainly American foods. Still, you can find pea soup there, which is a common Dutch food, following the principle of hearty and practical. Also, some delicious saucijzenbroodjes (pigs in the blanket) are there. Perhaps most notable is the recent re-introduction of cheese to our community. Neils’ Dutch Village Downtown brought cheese to the heart of 8th Street and now Culture Cheese has provided an opportunity for renewed interest in this basic food. The subtlety and enrichment that different cheese pairings can bring is not to be underestimated! As author and essayist, G.K. Chesterton once said, “Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese.”

Whatever foods you enjoy, it’s fun to remember the cultures and countries behind them. And as the Dutch say, “Eet smakelijk!" or “Eat deliciously!”