In this category you will find recipes which have their roots in Holland.

About Dutch recipes

Dutch agriculture roughly consists of five sectors: fishery, animal husbandry, and tillage-based, fruit-based, and greenhouse-based agriculture. The last has had little or no influence on traditional Dutch eating habits.

Tillage-based crops include potatoes, kale, beetroot, green beans, carrots, celeriac, onions, all kind of cabbages, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, endive, spinach, Belgian endive, asparagus and lettuce. Recently some initiatives have been started to encourage interest in such "forgotten" vegetables as common purslane, medlars, parsnips, and black salsify.

Greenhouses are used to produce tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and sweet peppers.

Fruits include apples, pears, cherries, berries and plums.

The Dutch keep cows for milk, cheese and meat, chickens for their eggs and for meat, pigs for their meat and sheep for their wool and meat. Traditionally horse meat was a common dish (steak and sausage), but horse meat is seldom eaten nowadays.

The fishery sector lands cod, herring, plaice, sole, mackerel, eels, tuna, salmon, trout, oysters, mussels, shrimp, and sardines. The Dutch are famous for their smoked eel and soused herring, that is eaten raw.

BOB ingredients

BOB stands for ‘Beschermde Oorsprongsbenaming’ which in the UK we know as 'Protected Designation of Origin' (PDO). Under the EU agricultural product quality policy, this "covers agricultural products and foodstuffs which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognised know-how". The following Dutch ingredients are those which are registered as BOB.

BGA ingredients

BGA stands for ‘Beschermde Geografische Aanduiding’ which in the UK we know as 'Protected Geographical Indication' (PGI). Under the EU agricultural product quality policy, this "covers agricultural products and foodstuffs closely linked to the geographical area. At least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the area." The following Dutch ingredients are those which are registered as BGA.

GTS ingredients

GTS stands for ‘Gegarandeerde Traditionele Specialiteit’ which in the UK is known as 'Traditional Speciality Guaranteed’ (TSG). It "highlights traditional character, either in the composition or means of production". The following Dutch products are those registered as GTS.

We also have a wealth of information on Dutch cheeses.

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DUTCH RECIPES