DIY Food Tour: Amsterdam

If you’re like us, food is one of the highlights of traveling! Food is a like tour guide that informs you about the history, culture, pace of life, agriculture, and personality of the people. And it was obvious that we had a lot to learn about Amsterdam! So we crafted our very own DIY Food Tour!

The top 9 foods to try in Amsterdam (plus a bonus for the super-foodies!)

Eat your way through Amsterdam for less than $27 by trying these:

1 – Raw Herring – $2.80 Yep, raw fish—and not in the form of sushi. Raw herring is as common in the Netherlands as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are in the US. It’s traditionally sliced and served with pickles and raw onions. Brett’s opinion: It was actually really good, and not too fishy! It was great with the pickles, but I could take or leave the onions. (I, Jana, don’t eat fish so I didn’t try it.)

2 – Stroopwafel – $1.70 This is one street food that we could eat every single day. And to quote one of our friends, “I think the waffle and I could be best friends.” It’s a typical waffle batter cooked on a waffle iron, about the thickness of a hardback book cover. That’s thin to begin with, but then the chef slices it in half and smears caramel on it before sandwiching it back together. The results: a taste similar to waffles and maple syrup, but even better. If you have a sweet tooth, don’t miss this food in Amsterdam! Note: They also make these with Nutella, but those are just to entice the tourists. Be sure to try a traditional one with caramel! Brett’s opinion: We ate this 3 different times during our week in Amsterdam. Nuff said! Jana’s opinion: Do we have to share one? I kinda want one all to myself!

3 – Oorlog – $4.30 French fries aren’t from France after all. They are hugely popular here! Golden potatoes fried to perfection, then topped with the traditional sauce and mayo. Oorlog makes the ideal snack for tourists and locals alike. Walk up to a counter to order. Opt for the traditional peanut-based satay sauce. You won’t be disappointed. P.S. We also had chicken with this same satay sauce from a vendor in the market. It was just as amazing! Brett’s opinion: The fries were great, but I don’t love mayonnaise. Next time I would order a double portion of the satay sauce! Jana’s opinion: I already love potatoes so I knew that this snack wouldn’t disappoint. The potatoes were so buttery on the inside and crispy on the outside—just the way French fries should be. In my opinion, skip the mayo and go with a double portion of satay sauce!

4 – Croquettes from FEBO – $2.25 We have never seen such a unique…restaurant? Takeaway place? Fast food? Vending machine? We’re not even sure what to call it! This…place…makes fresh food then sticks it into these fancy machines. No ordering in person, no waiting in line, it’s all self-service. You walk up to the FEBO shop and see which menu item you’d like. Insert your money into the machine beside your desired item, then open up a little door with food inside, grab the item, and close the door. That’s it! It’s hard to decide with so many options, but they all look fantastic! Brett’s opinion: I might choose this over bitterballen (next on the list) if I could only choose one, just because it’s kinda fun (or weird?) to get hot food from a vending machine! Jana’s opinion: Why isn’t this place more popular! (Chick-fil-A, this would work wonders for your business!) If I was a local, I think I would eat here often, for a quick snack or to meet up with friends before shopping. The food was a bit salty, which I think it’s supposed to be that way.

5 – Bitterballen – $6.50 Imagine a mini beef pot pie filling that’s fried. Yum. That’s essentially what bitterballen are. You will usually find these in pubs or on the appetizer menu, which means they are in most restaurants. Brett’s opinion: I think I would buy these at FEBO for the vending machine experience. However, they make a great pairing with a beer during happy hour. Jana’s opinion: Snack dinners (basically a meal of appetizers) are some of my favorites. I think this would have to be included in that kind of evening!

6 – Apple Cake – $5.00 Tart apples grown in the Netherlands, combined with cinnamon and moist cake. Need I say more? I’ve noticed that the cake tends to be more apples than dough. I’ve seen it served as a typical slice of cake and as more of a round individual mini cake. If possible, opt for the regular style (a triangle slice of a round cake, or a rectangle slice from a rectangle cake). Brett’s opinion: I’m not the biggest fan of fruit desserts, but that’s because I’ve never had a fruit cake like this one! Jana’s opinion: Seconds please! Especially if it is served warm and with fresh whipped cream on the side. This also makes me want to sample a raw apple grown in the Netherlands, which is said to be more tart.

7 – Poffertjes – $3.40 How cute are these baby pancakes! That’s exactly what they are: fluffy pancakes about two inches in diameter. Topped with a pad of butter and dusted with a generous portion of powdered sugar. Brett’s opinion: Fried dough + powdered sugar = give me some more! Jana’s opinion: I like pancakes, so of course I liked these! A quick and easy food that’s filling enough for a street food dinner.

8 – Tampouce – $0.85 Be warned: this tastes delicious but it tricky to eat! It’s a gentle cream filling sandwiched between two hard layers of flakey crust. So when you take a bite…you can imagine how the filling squeezes out! The cream was fluffy and slightly sweet. The crust was tasty and flakey. And the pink icing on top was extra sweet. Brett’s opinion: For 75 cents a piece, I’ll take 5! Honestly, I’d enjoy it even more without the icing. Jana’s opinion: It was good, but I’m not a huge fan of cream desserts of super sweet icings. I would eat it again, but I’d pick the apple cake over this any day of the week!

9 – Drop – FREE, if you find a generous shop clerk! They call it drop, we call it licorice. It’s a small black candy with a chewy bite bursting with anise flavor. We don’t love licorice, but we tasted a sample and it was okay. We had another sample of drop inside of a chocolate ball, and you could hardly taste the anise flavor at all! Hint: See if you can taste a sample in a store instead of purchasing a whole bag of drop! Brett’s opinion: We had been warned we might not like this, but I actually thought it was pretty good! Try a sweet version instead of a salty one. Jana’s opinion: Eh it was fine. If you like licorice, definitely try this.

BONUS – Cheese tasting If you even mildly love cheese, you must sample Dutch cheese! After all, gouda originated here. We also learned that the cows in the Netherlands consume excessive Vitamin A in the diet, which means Dutch cheese contains loads of beta carotene (which you usually find in orange veggies). As Brett wondered, “So I can consider my serving of Dutch cheese to be equivalent to a serving of veggies?” We took a tasting at Raypenaer, which was fantastic and we highly recommend. However, the grocery stores, restaurants, and markets offer plenty of cheese tastings as well. Brett’s opinion: Oh my gosh. This was worth every bit what we paid and more! I’m a huge fan the of aged gouda cheeses! Jana’s opinion: More cheese please! Especially the goat cheese—that’s my favorite. In fact, if you’ve never had aged goat cheese, this is the place to try it!

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