Gemeente Amsterdam

Amsterdam is not a destination for those with a diet.

Belgium was known for waffles, but the Dutch have their own pancake. It's wider and flatter than an American pancake (one restaurant we went to labeled a "normal pancake" as an American pancake) and usually has apple slices baked inside if you order a more traditional one.

Also, the Dutch have their own waffles as well, it's called a Stroopwaffle. You can get them from street vendors (see video), but they also come in packaged mini forms. The mini ones are supposed to be placed on coffee to keep the coffee warm and to heat up the center of the Stroopwaffle.

Of course, there was also Dutch Apple Pie. We got ours from a place where legend has it there is a secret door somewhere that monks used to use to get their Apple Pie fix (never found it, but the pie was good). They also had Mulled Wine so that was a nice consolation prize.

Lastly, we had a new type of food. Indonesian was a long time Dutch colony. A tour guide suggested a good Indonesian restaurant, and he wasn't kidding. It was called Aneka Rasa and we opted for a pre-fix menu for 2 that gave a wide assortment of Indonesian dishes. It was amazing.

OK really lastly, Emily took Dave to Ethiopian which he had not had before. It was delicious some dishes spicy others not. A mix of meat and veggies dishes. I'll end the post with Ethiopian meal time etiquette:

Mealtime Etiquette

Most traditional Ethiopian food is eaten with the hands; this is done by tearing off a piece of injera and using it to pick up a morsel of food.

Traditional meals are eaten from a communal plate about the size of a pizza pan.

Eat with your right hand - the left is considered unclean and therefore you should avoid using it if you can.

Always wash your hands before and after the meal. Sometimes a server will bring a basin and pitcher of water with soap to the table.

The gursha is a gesture when a person will carefully place a morsel of food directly into your mouth. It is a gesture of respect and friendship.  

Allow any elders to begin eating before you do.  If you are the oldest present, Ethiopians will patiently wait until you begin to eat.

In the end the Netherlands offered a variety of traditional and foreign dishes that could please any pallet.Read more