Needless to say, in the three weeks I was there I also got a fair amount of eating done, and it was nothing short of delightful. The dorm we stayed in not only had huge single rooms and windows overlooking a canal, but kitchens in every section, so I was able to prepare my own food a lot of the time. My meals were mostly pretty simple, though, so I didn’t photograph many of them. This entry is another gallery, in chronological order, including some traditional Dutch food, some things I made, and a bunch of stuff that I just thought was interesting. This is also my first entry with photos from my brand new fancy camera! Hope you enjoy!
When I arrived at the airport, I had a few hours to kill before getting picked up by my program coordinator, so I stopped for a beer at an airport restaurant. Heineken is a Dutch brand, so it’s one of the most common beers found on tap in the Netherlands. Some people say it tastes different there than in the US, but I’m unconvinced.
Shortly after arriving, a bunch of us made our first trip to Albert Heijn, the nearby grocery store. I always really enjoy going grocery shopping when I’m abroad because there are subtle things that make grocery stores really different from place to place. For example, in the Netherlands, they package their meat differently. I didn’t see any of the Styrofoam trays and plastic wrap that fill American meat freezers.
There’s a fast food restaurant called Febo that’s pretty popular in the Netherlands. When you go in, the first thing you see is a wall full of compartments with little plastic doors through which you can see and select your food. You put some coins in the slot, and you can open the door and take your food right out. They’re known for their croquettes, which are breaded, fried, and filled with meat, cheese, or veggies. I think this one had veggies and noodles.
This was from a cute little pastry shop in the Red Light District that was filled with extravagant tarts.
We had a group outing to Vondel Park and our program provided us with a really nice picnic spread. I got my first taste of filet americain (pronounced "ameri-CON"), which is the orange spread on the bread. It’s made of raw beef, which sounds scary, but the Dutch eat a lot of raw meat and they all seem fine, so I went for it. Best decision ever. It’s salty and flavorful and probably one of my favorite Dutch foods. Something that never fails to interest me is the foods which people from other countries attribute to America. I guess it’s kind of like us calling the sliced, fried potatoes invented in Belgium, "French fries."
This is hagelslag, or chocolate sprinkles. They eat it with peanut butter on bread. The fantastic thing about hagelslag is that it actually tastes like chocolate, which was a huge surprise actually. I feel like sprinkles in the US are always waxy and disappointing.
Whenever we went on field trips where our program covered dinner, two drinks were included, and they could be beers. Needless to say, we usually took them up on that.
This one was at a pizza place right down the street from the dorm.
Pannenkokken ("PANnuh-co-ken") is a traditional Dutch breakfast food somewhere between pancake and crepe. You can get them with all kinds of toppings and stuff cooked into them. I got one with egg and cheese at a restaurant right by the flower market.
My friend Sierra got pretty proficient at making pannenkokken, here's a breakfast she made me one morning before class.
This cute little espresso shot was at a coffee place near the dorm. One thing that often frustrated me in Amsterdam was how tiny the regular coffees always were. But I’ll admit, even though they were small and sometimes expensive, the coffees I drank in Amsterdam were always delicious, and usually rather potent.
Since everyone in our group was from the U.S., we were feeling pretty united and excited come Independence Day. We decided to have a 4th of July cookout, but because one of our group was leaving on the actual 4th, we ended up grilling on the 3rd. Interestingly, the only hot dogs we could find came in cans and were very thin.
On the actual 4th I made a salad with sugar snap peas, cauliflower, and scrambled eggs. At home my salads are usually dressed only in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. However, it seemed like a waste to buy a whole bottle of balsamic vinegar for the short time I was in Amsterdam, so during that time I would usually make simple salad dressings out of olive oil, honey, basil, and lemon juice. Below the salad is a tasty little creation I made with a leftover hotdog bun, toasted, spread with filet americain, and topped with the rest of the scrambled eggs. Afterwards, I used my face painting skills to decorate everybody's faces with some patriotic stars, and we went out drinking.
Some filet americain and eggs in a nest-shaped container that I bought at Albert Heijn. Interesting fact about the Netherlands: they don’t refrigerate eggs in the grocery store. I had a hard time finding them at first because I was expecting them to be by the butter.
One of my favorite snacks while I was in Amsterdam was toast with peanut butter and honey or with filet americain. Or both. Cheap, simple, filling, and healthy-ish.
A great place to spend an afternoon in Amsterdam is Brouwerij 't Ij. I’m really into breweries (especially in countries where I’m of age to enjoy them), and this is a good one. There’s a big windmill in front, and outdoor seating. I went with a bunch of my classmates one sunny day, and we got samplers, which I definitely recommend.
My favorite word in Dutch is poffertjes ("POFFer-chiss"). “Tjes” means something small and cute, and I think Poffer is pretty self-explanatory, so poffertjes refers to these tiny little pancakes that are cooked in what looks like a takoyaki pan. They’re served with butter and powered sugar and are a nice sweet snack. These were from a café near our dorm.
Got some yummy mango and coconut ice cream one afternoon after hitting the Jewish historical museum.
Bell pepper with a little heart-shaped mini pepper attached.
The Dutch eat a lot of sandwiches, so naturally I followed suit. This is lunch in my room. The sliced bell pepper was a little stroke of inspiration. I was going to cook it for dinner, but it was even better in my lunch. Crunchy, sweet, and refreshing.
On a field trip to a smaller city in the south, I tried mustard soup for the first time. I was pleasantly surprised; it was kind of creamy and had little mustard seeds inside for just the right amount of kick.
Candy purses!
I mostly just thought this "Smurfen" ice cream was funny. And it reminded me of the blue bubblegum ice cream my sister used to like when we were little.
I went with a couple of my friends to a candy shop called Papabubble, where they make those little candies that are stretched out while the sugar is warm and then cut. We got to sample some that was being made for a baby's party. Happy Birthday, Oliver! And they sell the big, unpretty (but still tasty) leftover end pieces for next to nothing, so we got some of that.
The Dutch really like their cheese. Look at those monster half-wheels!
For our farewell dinner, the program took us to a fancy restaurant at the top of a big building that had an excellent view of the city. I got a really nice salad full of sweet mangoes, bell peppers, and topped with fish, and there were also some lovely desserts.
My last coffee in Amsterdam, just before I took a train to Berlin.
One other traditional Dutch thing that I got to try was pickled herring. The day I got it, I was with some of my friends on what started out as an outing to hunt for my missing bike key, but turned into a lovely afternoon of eating, exploring, and shopping. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me, so I didn’t get a photo (I was so sad, they stuck a little Dutch flag toothpick in the fish, which would've made a cute photo), but it was pretty good. I actually got the smoked herring, and my friend got the pickled one. Both were pretty fishy and salty, but I like fish a lot, so I enjoyed it.
My time in the Netherlands was really eye opening. I felt really comfortable and at home there, and I had a ton of fun exploring, eating, and even researching my fifteen-page paper, believe it or not. My new friends are awesome, and it was great to try all those new foods. I think I need to go back the first chance I get—I’ve already been missing my filet americain.
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