Dutch cuisine is non-existent, you will not find fancy restaurants where traditional or typical Dutch food is being served. Fancy restaurants will serve international or French oriented dishes. However, this does not mean that there isn't such a thing typical Dutch food or eating habits!

Traditional breakfast and lunch

The traditional Dutch breakfast and lunch consists of one to four slices of bread, a glass of milk and / or thee or coffee. The bread will have some kind of spread on it; jam, peanutbutter, chocolate sprinkles, cheese and ham are typical spreads. Note that the first layer of spread will always be butter! (not mayonaise). A glass of 'karnemelk' (buttermilk) or regular milk and/or thee(without milk) or coffee (with milk) will accompany this meal.

Typical breakfast hours are anywhere between 6 and 9, lunch will be eaten somewhere inbetween 11.30am and 2pm. Inbetween meals typically some fruit or cookies will be eaten.

Traditional dinner

Main ingredients of traditional Dutch dinners are boiled patatoes, vegetables, meat and gravy. After serving dinner a tpyical scenario is the 'mashing' and mixing of the patatoes, vegetables and gravy. Some typical meals like 'hutspot' and 'boerenkool met worst' are served pre-mashed. As a dessert one eats apple sauce and/or yoghurt (plain, chocolate, vanilla or mixed).

Typical dinner hours are between 5pm(real traditional!) and 7pm.

Other Dutch food traditions

Although important, there is more to Dutch food than just mashed patatoes and sandwiches.

Pancake houses

A very typical restaurant is a so called 'pancake house'. In these you can order all kinds of pancakes that are meant to be lunch or dinner meals (not breakfast!). The pancakes differ from American pancakes in size and ingredients and can have many toppings. A pancake variant is the 'poffertjes', which are basically mini pancakes, a real treat - eat with butter!