Traditional Dutch Food – The Rijsttafel

When you visit a country for the first time, you always want to try the signature dishes. When in Spain you want to try paella, in Japan sushi, in India you want to try different curries. But what kind of food is traditionally Dutch?

The answer is a lot, and not a lot. The Dutch have an interesting culture and a lot of what you find there is not really Dutch. Like the Americans, over time they have absorbed many cultures into their own. So while you may find some traditional Dutch foods (such as the wonderful Dutch Pancake, a huge crepe-shaped pancake with your choice of sweet or savory fillings), most of the restaurants you’ll find in Amsterdam serve international food.

The most famous international, and uniquely Dutch, food in Amsterdam is the Rijsttafel. Rijsttafel means ‘rice table’ in Dutch and consists of small portions of around a million Indonesian dishes. The concept of this type of Indonesian banquet was brought to the Netherlands by Dutch settlers in Indonesia, who loved to try small portions of spicy and tasty local dishes.

A traditional Rijsttafel consists of 6 to 60 small portions (the more the better) and is usually enjoyed for two to three hours. Similar in concept to Spanish tapas, each dish is just a small sampler, maybe just a bite or two per dish, and it stays warm on the table for as long as you like. Dishes range from curried goat to traditional Indonesian ground coconut and saffron yellow rice. If you like exotic flavors, you will love Rijsttafel. It’s probably the most fun you’ll have having dinner in a long time.

Depending on where you go, a Rijsttafel meal can range from a relatively cheap €12 to €50. It’s worth spending a bit more, maybe around 25 euros per person, for a high-quality Rijsttafel.