By Boat or by Bike

Dutch cuisine doesn't have many typical dishes; it's famous for its soups (there are even some 'take away' chains) and its wide use of potatoes, for fresh fish and above all herrings ('haring', marinated or smoked, sold in fishmongers' shops and stalls to be enjoyed on the spot). Nevertheless it has a few specialities worth trying, such as omelettes (called 'pannekoeken'), sweet and savoury, with whatever filling you like; croquettes, a kind of fritter filled with meat or cheese and vegetables. The cheese is very famous: there are about 70 different varieties, including flavoured ones, ranging from jong (young) to alter (matured); Gouda and Edam are certainly the best-known names. And among the souvenirs, the typical slicer can't be missing.

Among the sweets worth mentioning are the tasty apple cakes ('appeltart'), often served with fresh whipped cream; 'siropwaffels' (a sort of wafer filled with sugar syrup, sold packaged but also fresh); 'hagels' (chocolate flakes to spread on bread together with butter); poffertjes (a kind of small pannekoeken to eat hot with butter and icing sugar); and, among the sweets, liquorice ('drop').

Amsterdam is a blend of cultures and so the star dish is certainly "non-Dutch" cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Thai, Portuguese, Greek, Turkish, Tibetan and more besides.... A chance to broaden your culinary horizons.