What Did I eat in Amsterdam?

In only two days in Amsterdam I had to be picky. At the top of my list was Indonesian food. Why? Because I love Asian food and it’s famous in Amsterdam. Due to colonialism, the Dutch brought back recipes from the east Indies and have incorporated it into their national cuisine. Having been to Indonesia, I was curious to taste some familiar flavors and to try the Dutch version of these dishes. The thing to order is a Rijsttafel, which means Rice Table. It’s an order of white rice with a dozen or so little samplings of meats, curries, and vegetables. I was surprised that although some of the spices were familiar the dishes themselves were not.

The second thing on my list was herring. I like seafood and pickled things, so I thought it would be a win-win. We were lucky enough to be staying near a famous and popular-with-the-locals herring cart. We ordered it Amsterdam-style, which comes with pickles and onions. I was surprised at how soft and flavorful the herring was, and not at all pungent or sour. The crunchiness of the onions and pickles really complimented the soft chewy fish. It was so good we went back the same day and got it again. 

The third things is pancakes. I heard that Dutch pancakes were definitely something to experience, so as soon as we landed I leaded to Pancakes Amsterdam. I ordered a savory pancake with Camembert and a sweet pancake with apples. I love the thinness of the pancakes, which are more like crepes.