By Trenna Hopson
If you’re traveling to Amsterdam, I’m sure you have your activities and museums picked out—but have you thought about food? I’m sure you have because it’s essential to living and whatnot, but I don’t think you’ve fully grasped just how blown away you’ll be by what you can get in Amsterdam. Check out these top picks for the top food you absolutely can’t miss during your trip!
Dutch Fries
Upon arriving to Amsterdam, you’ll most likely see a bunch of people holding paper cones filled with fries and different sauces and immediately you’ll think to yourself “I need one of those.” Don’t worry, there are fry places on every corner and trust me, they taste as good as they look, plus the sauce choices are endless.
Stroopwafels
Stroopwafels are amazing. Point blank. The word stroopwafel literally means “syrup waffle” so let your imagination wander to how good this must taste. It’s two waffles as a cookie and on the inside is syrup, so it’s a delicious combination and a definite must have.
Bitterballen
A good food to accompany a round of beers in Amsterdam is bitterballen. These deep fried breadcrumb coated balls of chopped meat are very flavorful and are a staple at many Amsterdam cafes. Add some mustard as a dipping sauce and prepare to be in heaven.
Poffertjes
These small puffy pancakes are a light and delicious treat in Amsterdam. During the summer you can usually find these at different street vendors across the city and the portions are usually a dozen to two dozen. Make sure to get them with powdered sugar and butter to make these fluffy clouds of deliciousness even better.
Pepernoten
These brown cookies are a staple in Amsterdam during the holidays. Children usually receive these from Santa as a treat for being good, so that’s reason enough to stay on the nice list this year. Pepernoten is essentially the plural of “pepper nuts” and their taste is a great mixture of spices, but if you enjoy pumpkin spice, pepernoten will probably be your next favorite.
Rookworst
Rookworst is basically the Dutch version of a hot dog, except it’s way better. The skin is a little crispier and the sausage is bigger overall and you’ll be eating it in Amsterdam which just puts it over the top, clearly beating out hot dogs. Try it on a roll and add some mustard and prepare to be amazed.
Kroket
Kroket can be found nearly everywhere in Amsterdam, even at McDonalds if you get that desperate. It’s a deep fried roll of meat with a breadcrumb coating that is amazing with mustard and can be eaten as both a snack or a meal, so it’s easy to see why it’s a staple at nearly every food place in Amsterdam.
Oliebollen
“Oil balls,” or oliebollen, are most popular around New Year’s Eve in Amsterdam. They essentially taste like a doughnut, but obviously they are just a little better. A lot of Dutch people make these at home during the holidays, but they can also be purchased from street vendors. Make sure to get them with powdered sugar!
