Page 407 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - The Netherlands

WHERE T O EA T AND DRINK  405

Indonesian Legacy
The Dutch began colonizing
Indonesia in the 17th century
and ruled the southeast
Asian archipelago right up
until 1949. Indonesian cuisine
has had a marked influence
on eating habits in the
Netherlands. Ingredients
once regarded as exotic have
crept into Dutch dishes. It is
now commonplace to spice
up apple pies and biscuits
with cinnamon, which is
sometimes even used to
flavour vegetables. Coconut
Baskets of wild mushrooms at an organic market and chillis are very popular
flavourings, too, and sampling
persecution in Portugal and city’s favourite late-night snacks. a rijsttafel (see below) is
Antwerp were some of the first Ethiopians, Greeks, Thais, Italians considered one of the
foreigners to make their home in and Japanese are among other highlights of any trip to
the city. Today, Amsterdammers waves of immigrants to make the country.
count as their own such Jewish their culinary mark, and most
specialities as pekelvlees (salt beef), recently traditional British fare THE RIJSTTAFEL
pickled vegetables (often served has become popular.
as salad) and a variety of sticky Dutch colonialists in Indonesia
cakes, now found mostly in the often found that the modest
more old-fashioned tea-rooms. local portions failed to satisfy
The 20th century saw an their hunger. To match their
larger appetites, they created the
influx of immigrants from rijsttafel (literally “rice-table”). It
Turkey and several North consists of around 20 small spicy
African countries. Large Arab dishes, served up with a shared
and Turkish communities bowl of rice or noodles. Pork or
have become established chicken satay (mini kebabs with
in Amsterdam. As a result, peanut sauce) and kroepoek
restaurants with menus that (prawn crackers) usually arrive
feature Middle-Eastern style first. A selection of curried meat
stuffed vegetables, succulent and vegetable dishes follows,
stews and couscous, are almost with perhaps a plate of fried tofu
everywhere. Falafel (fried and various salads, all more or
chickpea balls) are readily less served together. A sweet
available from road-side take- Gouda on offer in an Amsterdam treat, such as bananas fried in
aways and are now one of the cheese shop batter, rounds it all off.

Shrimp croquettes are shrimps Stamppot is a hearty dish of curly Nasi goreng, an Indonesian-style dish
in a creamy sauce, coated in kale or endive (chicory) and crispy of egg-fried rice with pork and mush-
breadcrumbs and deep-fried. bacon mixed with mashed potato. rooms, is also popular for a rijsttafel.

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