Dutch food is excellent and interesting!
So far I am enjoying Dutch food. As seen above, herring is a popular street food. I chose to have it served in a bun and I thought it was delicious. Not pictured were the frites with mayonnaise I ate shortly after. Mayo is a usual fry accompaniment for me, so the new treat here was to heat them hot in a paper cone.
Döner kebabs are also popular in the Netherlands. These are made from something similar to the seasoned rotisseried meat you get in a gyros, plus veggies, seasoning and sauce. It was delicious and cheap. Kebab stores are found throughout Amsterdam (and the Netherlands, I'm told).
The coffee here is also quite good. Our hotel coffee is okay, but they know it is a need to address and so have a large automated coffee unit that dispenses espresso, lattes, and cappuccino. Nearby are several cafes (be careful not to call them "coffee shops," as such businesses are actually marijuana shops), restaurants, and bars with excellent coffee. These are generally served with a small sweet, such as a cookie or piece of chocolate. There does not appear to be such as a thing as "drip" coffee here as every cup is made to order.
I also got to try mustard soup while dining at the Stedelijk for lunch. This was surprisingly delicious and I enjoyed a large bowl with some slices of bread.
To cap things off (at least for this post), a few of us ate dinner one night at The Pantry, famed for its traditional Dutch dishes. I enjoyed a glass of Jenever gin, followed by smoked eel on toast for a starter.
My main dish was smoked sausage with hutspot, zuurkool, and boerenkoolstamppot (3 kinds of mashed potatoes mixed with kale; sauerkraut; and stewed beef, carrots, and onions, respectively) (the stewed beef/veg was my favorite). It was all delicious.
The Dutch also have a sweet tooth. One hot commodity is black licorice, which may be found at the grocery store or market vendor. Shown here is a variety pack of drops that range from sweet (the hives have a hint of honey and the pill shapes have hardly any anise flavor) to strong anise (the cats and the crosses).
Another variety is salt licorice. Just like it sounds, it's licorice flavor with heavy salting. For me, this is an acquired taste and one I do not seek to acquire.
Visit Holland! Try the food!