The man looks into the camera, shows the dish, and digs in. The camera zooms in, and the man pulls a face of sheer joy. It is obvious: The man is happy; this journey was worth it. From now on, the obscure restaurant has become a beacon of gastronomy.
Yes, good food is a thing these days. No trip is complete without local food—preferably street food, made by locals. Pity the fool who didn’t include this element in his journey.
Gathering inspiration
It takes little time to gather inspiration. Open YouTube, type in the desired destination and “local food,” and you’re set. Honestly, a conga line of vloggers will share their stories about local dishes and regional drinks. It is hard to miss them.
Rest assured, my latest trip to Asia included local food suggested by locals. Some dishes and snacks were great (martabak, ramen), but others weren’t so successful (anything with durian).
(For more info on this trip: https://travelisinthedetails.com/all-good-things-come-in-threes-or-even-more-a-story-about-group-travel-in-indonesia/ )
All in all, I enjoyed various cuisines. I sometimes enjoyed Western food, but there was never a moment when I craved Dutch food, such as hotchpotch or a Dutch ‘broodje kaas’.
Adjusting to Dutch food again
However, when I returned, I easily changed to the assortment of Dutch supermarkets. There are plenty of options for nice dishes here as well.
I was surprised by myself, nevertheless. After the Friday afternoon drink ended, I felt the need for food and explained this to a dear friend. After my exclamation, she also felt the need for some Dutch snacks. Within minutes, we found ourselves in a typical Dutch snack bar.
Bring on the patat and kroket!
It took me some time to realize that it had been quite some time since I had had the typical Dutch fried food. The fries and kroket never tasted better. Let’s be honest: Dutch gastronomy is often known for its snack style and for being fried.
Ast as a traveller, you can try to behave as inclusively as you want, trying many different dishes on holiday. Which is excellent as you discover and learn many new things. But embracing your gastronomy when you are back home is also completely fine. (Okay, I don’t recommend eating fried food regularly for obvious health reasons. But you just need it, sometimes!)
Fried and Friesland
Local Dutch food might be familiar to me but may sound exotic to others. First, there’s more to Dutch cuisine than fried food, but if you want to try it, I’m happy to guide you to some places where you can do so. You are very welcome to give it a try in the province that has the type of gastronomy included in its name: Friesland 😉
(Want to see some examples of Dutch food? Here’s a link: https://www.iamexpat.nl/lifestyle/dutch-food-cuisine-dishes/snacks )
P.S. The author acknowledges that Dutch cuisine—like many others—may have different origins. You may be surprised about the origins of some dishes and snacks.
