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Food & Drink: There are few dishes that can be described as quintessentially Dutch, and those that do fall into this category are a far cry from the elaborate creations of French or Italian cuisine. Almost every large town, however, has a wide range of restaurants specialising in their own brands of international dishes including Chinese, Italian, French, Balkan, Spanish, German, American and British. Indonesian cuisine, a result of the Dutch colonisation of the East Indies, with its use of spices and exotic ingredients, is particularly delicious. A typical Dutch breakfast usually consists of several varieties of bread, thin slices of Dutch cheese, prepared meats and sausage, butter and jam or honey and often a boiled egg. A working lunch would be koffietafel, once again with breads, various cold cuts, cheese and conserves. There will often be a side dish of omelette, cottage pie or salad. The most common daytime snack are broodjes (sandwiches) and are served in the ubiquitous sandwich bars – broodjeswinkels. Filled pancakes are also popular. Lightly salted ‘green’ herring can be bought from street stalls (they are held by the tail and slipped down into the throat). More substantial dishes are generally reserved by the Dutch themselves for the evening meal: erwtensoep (thick pea soup served with smoked sausage, cubes of bacon, pig’s knuckle and brown or white bread), groentensoep (clear consommé with vegetables, vermicelli and meatballs), hutspot (potatoes, carrots and onions), klapstuk (an accompaniment of stewed lean beef) and boerenkool met rookworst (frost-crisped kale and potatoes served with smoked sausage). Seafood dishes are often excellent, particularly in Amsterdam or Rotterdam, and include gebakken zeetong (fried sole), lekkerbekjes (fried whiting), royal imperial oysters, shrimps, mussels, lobster and eel (smoked, filleted and served on toast or stewed or fried). Favourite Dutch desserts include flensjes or pannekoeken (25 varieties of Dutch pancake), wafels met slagroom (waffles with whipped cream), poffertje (small dough balls fried and dusted with sugar) and spekkoek (alternate layers of heavy buttered sponge and spices from Indonesia), which translated means ‘bacon cake’. Restaurants usually have table service. Bars and cafes generally have the same, though some are self-service.
Coffee, tea, chocolate and fruit juice are drunk at breakfast. The local spirit is jenever (Dutch gin), normally taken straight and chilled as a chaser with a glass of beer, but it is sometimes drunk with cola or vermouth; it comes in many varieties depending on the spices used. Favoured brands are Bols, Bokma, De Kuyper and Claeryn. Dutch beer is excellent. It is a light, gassy pils type beer, always served chilled, generally in small (slightly under half a pint) glasses. The most popular brand in Amsterdam is Amstel. Imported beers are also available, as are many other alcoholic beverages. Dutch liqueurs are excellent and include Curaçao, Triple Sec (similar to Cointreau), Parfait d’Amour and Dutch-made versions of crème de menthe, apricot brandy and anisette. There are no licensing laws and drink can be bought all day. Bars open later and stay open until the early hours of the morning at weekends.
Nightlife: Large cities have sophisticated nightclubs and discos, but late opening bars and cafes are just as popular in provincial towns. There are theatres and cinemas in all major towns. Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan city, with some of the liveliest nightlife in Europe. There are legal casinos in Amsterdam, Breda, Eindhoven, Den Haag, Groningen, Nymegen, Rotterdam, Zandvoort, Valkenburg and Scheveningen (which claims to have the largest in Europe); all have an age limit of ‘over 18’ (passports must be shown).
Shopping: Special purchases include Delft (between The Hague and Rotterdam) blue pottery and pottery from Makkum and Workum, costume dolls, silverware from Schoonhoven, glass and crystal from Leerdam and diamonds from Amsterdam. Shopping hours: Mon 1100-1730, Tues-Sat 0900-1700. In Amsterdam, Rotterdam and other big cities, supermarkets are open from 0800-2000/2100. In large city centres, shops are open Sun 1200-1700. Shopping malls are also open on Sunday.
Note: Bulbs and plants may not be exported except by commercial growers, or by individuals with a health certificate from the Plant Disease Service.
Special Events: For a complete list of events and festivals held in The Netherlands, contact the Press and Public Relations Officer at the Royal Netherlands Embassy or The Netherlands Board of Tourism (see Contact Addresses section). The following list gives a selection of the major festivals and special events in 2003:
Jan 22-Feb 2 Film Festival Rotterdam. Feb 2-5 Nederlandse Vogelkampioenschappen, Zutphen (ornithological show). Mar 1-4 Carnaval, Landelijk (parades throughout the country). May 24-25 Dordt in Stoom, Dordrecht (steam event). May 29-31 Dynamo Open Air Festival, Weert (hard rock festival). May 29-Jun 1 Breda Jazz Festival, Breda. May 31-Jun 1 Cycle Vision, Lelystad (reclining bike event). Jun 5-Jul 29 Holland Festival, Amsterdam. Jun 11-22 Pasar Malam Besar, Den Haag (largest Eurasian festival in the world). Jun 14-20 Poetry International, Rotterdam. Jun 25-28 Folkloristisch Dansfestival Bolsward. Jun 27-29 Fiesta del Sol, Eindhoven (international music festival). Jun 28-Aug 10 Kwakoe Zomer Festival, Amsterdam (multicultural festival). Jun 29 Parkpop, Den Haag (free pop festival). Jul 11-13 North Sea Jazz Festival, Den Haag. Jul 30-Aug 3 Internationaal Folkloristisch Dansfestival, Odoorn. Aug 20-24 Grachtenfestival, Amsterdam (concerts given by international musicians). Aug 28-31 Preuvenemint, Maastricht (culinary festival). Oct 4-6 Dutch International Wine Festival, Den Haag. Oct 21 Zuidlaardermarkt, Zuidlaren (biggest horse and cattle market in Western Europe). Dec 13-26 Disney on Ice, Den Haag.
Social Conventions: It is customary to shake hands. English is spoken as a second language by many and is willingly used; many Dutch people will also speak German and French. Hospitality is very much the same as for the rest of Europe and America. It is customary to take a small gift if invited for a meal. Casual wear is widely acceptable. Men are expected to wear a suit for business and social functions. Formal wear may be required for smart restaurants, bars and clubs. Evening dress (black tie for men) is generally specified on invitation. Tipping: All hotels and restaurants include 15 per cent service and VAT. It is customary to leave small change when paying a bill. €0.5-1.00 is usual for porters, doormen and taxi drivers. Hairdressers and barbers have inclusive service prices.
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