My Dutch roots

I know some of the themes on my blog might be a tad confusing, but let me clarify some things for you. I like to try to live more sustainably, and I am also keen to understand my roots. My father is Dutch, so I have spent my life pondering what being ‘Dutch’ really is (or what being half-Dutch is). My surname is so Dutch that I can’t even pronounce it properly – nor do I bother.

I used to think Oma spoke a bit weird (ja and zo were common mutterings), and had interesting tendencies to hoard things in bulk that were obviously in short supply during the second world war (such as margarine and chocolate). She was definitely a good source of drop (Dutch licorice).

On that topic – Dutch licorice is a bit like Vegemite – if you haven’t been raised on it, you will probably spit in in the bin in disgust. I have a giant jar on my desk at work, and I even though I work in a busy call centre, I am fairly confident that most people won’t be trying to steal it. Just today I had a friend at work take one (thinking it was normal licorice) and he couldn’t hold it in his mouth for more than a few seconds. I on the other hand savor them!

The Netherlands are such a small country, and yet everywhere you go you find Dutch people, Dutch names (Rottnest Island was first discovered by the Dutch, and they soon cleared out when they found it was infested with what they thought were giant rats – or quokka’s if they had looked more closely), most supermarkets have a small section of Dutch treats, most people I know go gaga for those mini Dutch pancakes that no one can pronounce (ie poffertjes) and well, since having married a Dutch man, and having quite a few Dutch friends, I just can’t seem to get away from it all. So I have decided to embrace it!

Freaky Deaky Dutch food

I have discovered some awesome Dutch food, and some not so exciting Dutch food. Sometimes I feel rather depressed looking through a Dutch cooking book. A thousand boring things you can do with a potato, or wow, fish with white sauce. But it’s in the dessert/biscuit baking department that they truly shine. Bring on those delicious spiced cookies, almond pastes and apple tarts. Yes, I will have another slither of that fruit flan or semolina almond pudding. I think I nearly passed out the first time I saw a Belgian waffle stand with waffles half dipped in white, milk and dark chocolate. I also had a similar experience when I discovered an entire semi-trailer sized truck at a town festival containing every kind of Dutch doughnut you could imagine.

So here are some of the Dutch recipes that I can highly recommend, tried and tested!

Coming soon:

  • Poffertjes
  • Pannenkoek
  • Belgian waffles
  • Gevuldekoek
  • Speculaas cookies
  • Good old Pea and ham soup
  • Trying to make the perfect Dutch sausage

Some interesting Dutch customs/things

Dad stories

To say that my Dad is a bit of a character is an understatement. I have often thought I should write a mini-series on Dad’s character alone. Clearly, I won’t tell him that I have based a character on him, because he is sensitive to this. Just this year he told me he doesn’t read my blog, and that he was deeply hurt by my Dad stories (of which I was very proud). I have to be honest to say I was upset when he told me this, and couldn’t even write for a few weeks. But then I decided that this is my blog, and these are my stories, and I only write things I feel good about, and in writing many of my stories I come to appreciate some things in my life even more, so I decided that I need not worry about pleasing other people in the process.

Plus, if you look at it the bright side of this, if Dad isn’t reading my blog anymore, then I can really go for it with the Dad stories. Cool huh!

Here are some of my favourites:


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