What do the Dutch eat for Christmas dinner?

The main course is often wild, or game meat: venison, deer, or smaller game like hare or rabbit. Rabbit for me is the ultimate Christmas dish. For as long as I can remember, Christmas dinner consisted of a sweet and tangy rabbit dish my grandma Pauline used to make.

What do Dutch people do on Christmas day?

Christmas Day in the Netherlands

Christmas is on December 25, but the Dutch refer to this as the First Day of Christmas. This is the day when families gather, have dinner together, and exchange presents. There is, however, no turkey, no fruitcake, or any complicated dish.

What is a traditional Dutch dinner?

A traditional Dutch meal has boiled potatoes, boiled vegetables and is served with a side of meat. In winter stampot is served: the potatoes are mashed with veggies like boiled kale (boerenkool) or carrots and onions (hutspot). again served with eg a meatball or kielbasa like sausage and bacon.

What exactly is gourmetten?

Gourmetten is a popular Dutch dining tradition where you gather around a tabletop hotplate to fry your own meat, fish, vegetables and even pancakes or omelettes in tiny little pans. It's kind of like the Dutch answer to the Swiss raclette.

What do the Dutch eat on Sinterklaas?

Traditional food during Sinterklaas

• Chocoladeletters (chocolate letters)
• Pepernoten and kruidnoten.
• Speculaas and gevulde speculaas.
• Strooigoed.
• Marzipan.
• Taai Taai.
• Mandarin oranges.

What Are Some Dutch Christmas Dishes? - Western Europe Explorer

What is a typical Christmas dinner in the Netherlands?

There is a festive Christmas spread for dinner. This starts with a popular Dutch Christmas starter, a shrimp cocktail. It is followed by the main course of mixed wild meat along with cheese fondues and vegetables. A traditional sweet treat is Kruidnoten, Dutch gingernut cookies prepared with ginger and sweet spices.

What is Dutch comfort food?

Stamppot is the ultimate comfort food. This mashed potato-based dish often includes vegetables like kale (boerenkool), carrots and onions (hutspot), or sauerkraut (zuurkool), and it's typically topped with gravy and a juicy rookworst. Stamppot dates back to the 16th century and remains a staple in Dutch households.

What do they eat in Holland for Christmas?

🍽️ Must-Try Dutch Food for Christmas

• Gourmetten. Pronunciation: [ɣʊu̯mɛrˈtə(n)] This is less a dish and more an event. ...
• Kerststol. Pronunciation: [ˈkɛrst. ...
• Rollade. Pronunciation: [rɔˈlaːdə] A popular main course. ...
• Stoofpeertjes. ...
• Oliebollen.

What are some gourmetten side dishes?

• Peppercorn Gravy. View Product.
• Spicy Chili Bacon Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts. View Product.
• Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese. ...
• Oven Roasted Glazed Vegetables. ...
• Glazed Green Beans with Crumbled Gorgonzola. ...
• Honey Balsamic Roasted Carrots. ...
• Lemon Barley Risotto. ...
• Aglio e Olio (Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and Parmesan cheese)

Is gourmetten healthy or unhealthy?

Gourmetten can often result in a richer, less healthy meal. The use of oils for grilling, combined with fatty meats and cheese, can make the meal quite heavy. Over the course of a long evening, it's easy to consume more calories and fat than intended.

What do Dutch people say before they eat?

Dining etiquette

If you are invited for for dinner in the Netherlands, it is common to wait until the host indicates that you can start eating. If you want to say "Enjoy your meal" say "Eet smakelijk" and if you want to make a toast say "proost".

What do Dutch eat the most?

The classic Dutch food is called AVG, which stands for 'aardappelen, groente en vlees' or potatoes, vegetables and meat, the main ingredients for a classic Dutch meal. Especially in winter, stamppot is a very popular dish. It is potatoes mixed with vegetables, gravy and a piece of meat to go with it.

What is the Netherlands' most popular food?

Just 15 plant crops provide 90 percent of the world's food energy intake (exclusive of meat), with rice, maize and wheat comprising two-thirds of human food consumption. These three are the staples of about 80 percent of the world population, and rice feeds almost half of humanity.

What is the biggest Dutch holiday?

King's Day, or Koningsdag, is a national holiday in the Netherlands that has become one of the most festive occasions of the year. On Sunday April 27th, 2026, the entire country takes to the streets to celebrate the birthday of King Willem-Alexander.

Do Dutch people have Christmas trees?

Dutch Christmas tradition #1: setting up a Christmas tree

This is essential to a Dutch Christmas. You can be as creative as you want with this. People living in small apartments set up small trees with just some lights. Others go crazy and set up enormous trees decorated with everything you can imagine.

What is the most popular side dish?

30 best side dishes

• Classic potato salad.
• Cauliflower cheese.
• Epic summer salad.
• Air fryer patatas bravas.
• Roasted carrots.
• Easy pilau rice.
• Ultimate roast potatoes.
• Giant couscous & tomato salad with zhoug-style dressing.

What is a 7 main course menu?

7 course meal: A 7 course dinner menu includes an hors d'oeuvre, soup, appetizer, salad, main course, dessert, and mignardise. 6 course meal: A 6 course dinner menu includes an hors d'oeuvre, soup, appetizer, salad, main course, and dessert.

What is a good lazy dinner?

The Lazy Dinners Our Editors Turn to When Recipes Feel Like Too Much Work

• 10-Minute Channa Masala.
• Beans and Greens.
• Good Ole Grilled Cheese.
• Seeded Toasts With Hummus, Pepitas, and Za'atar.
• Quick Tortilla Española.
• Kitchen-Sink Quesadillas.
• Sardines, Bread, and Plenty of Olive Oil and Lemon.
• Shakshuka Sauce Pasta.

What is the most famous Dutch dish?

1. Poffertjes. Probably one of the most famous Dutch dishes, Poffertjes are small pancakes, baked in an iron skillet, and traditionally served with melted butter and dusted with icing sugar. You can enjoy these all year round, but Christmas and New Year are typically the best times to have them.

What are Dutch Christmas traditions?

Among the Dutch, Christmas (which lasts two days) is a time of togetherness. Gifts are generally not exchanged. Usually it is celebrated with ones direct, and not extended, family. It's celebrated on December 25 and 26.

What is the Dutch Christmas dessert?

Banket. Banket is a great-tasting Dutch pastry filled with almond paste. My husband's family is from the Netherlands and this is the recipe they make every year at Christmas.

What is a typical Dutch dinner?

Dutch dinner

Typical Dutch dishes are stamppot boerenkool (mashed kale), Hutspot (stew of potatoes and carrots), erwtensoep (split pea soup) and bruine bonensoep (brown bean soup).

What does Schat mean in Dutch slang?

Schat / schatje (little treasure)

Similar to calling someone a cutie or sweetie, schat - which means “treasure” - is one of the most common terms of endearment you'll hear in the Netherlands. Another popular variation is the diminutive schatje. Both are used among couples and for children.

What is a Dutch supper?

Dinner. A traditional Dutch meal: meat, potatoes, and boiled vegetable.