World Country Guide

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Food & Drink
There are few dishes that can be described as quintessentially Dutch, and those that do fall into this category are a far cry from the elaborate creations of French or Italian cuisine. Almost every large town, however, has a wide range of restaurants specialising in their own brands of international dishes including American, Balkan, British, Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Indonesian cuisine, a result of the Dutch colonisation of the East Indies, with its use of spices and exotic ingredients, is particularly delicious. A typical Dutch breakfast usually consists of several varieties of bread, thin slices of Dutch cheese, prepared meats and sausage, butter and jam or honey and often a boiled egg. A working lunch would be koffietafel, once again with breads, various cold cuts, cheese and conserves. There will often be a side dish of omelette, cottage pie or salad. The most common daytime snack are broodjes (sandwiches) and are served in the ubiquitous sandwich bars – broodjeswinkels. Filled pancakes are also popular. Lightly salted ‘green’ herring can be bought from street stalls (they are held by the tail and slipped down into the throat). More substantial dishes are generally reserved by the Dutch themselves for the evening meal: erwtensoep (thick pea soup served with smoked sausage, cubes of bacon, pig’s knuckle and brown or white bread), groentensoep (clear consomm with vegetables, vermicelli and meatballs), hutspot (potatoes, carrots and onions), klapstuk (an accompaniment of stewed lean beef) and boerenkool met rookworst (frost-crisped kale and potatoes served with smoked sausage). Seafood dishes are often excellent, particularly in Amsterdam or Rotterdam, and include gebakken zeetong (fried sole), lekkerbekjes (fried whiting), royal imperial oysters, shrimps, mussels, lobster and eel (smoked, filleted and served on toast or stewed or fried). Favourite Dutch desserts include flensjes or pannekoeken (25 varieties of Dutch pancake), wafels met slagroom (waffles with whipped cream), offertje (small dough balls fried and dusted with sugar) and spekkoek (alternate layers of heavy buttered sponge and spices from Indonesia), which translated means ‘bacon cake’. Restaurants usually have table service. Bars and cafes generally have the same, though some are self-service.
Coffee, tea, chocolate and fruit juice are drunk at breakfast. The local spirit is jenever (Dutch gin), normally taken straight and chilled as a chaser with a glass of beer, but it is sometimes drunk with cola or vermouth; it comes in many varieties depending on the spices used. Favoured brands are Bols, Bokma, Claeryn and De Kuyper. Dutch beer is excellent. It is a light, gassy pils type beer, always served chilled, generally in small (slightly under half a pint) glasses. The most popular brand in Amsterdam is Amstel. Imported beers are also available, as are many other alcoholic beverages. Dutch liqueurs are excellent and include Curaao, Parfait d’Amour, Triple Sec (similar to Cointreau) and Dutch-made versions of crme de menthe, apricot brandy and anisette. There are no licensing laws and drink can be bought all day. Bars open later and stay open until the early hours of the morning at weekends.

Nightlife
Large cities have sophisticated nightclubs and discos, but late opening bars and cafes are just as popular in provincial towns. There are theatres and cinemas in all major towns. Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan city, with some of the liveliest nightlife in Europe. There are legal casinos in Amsterdam, Breda, Eindhoven, Den Haag, Groningen, Nymegen, Rotterdam, Scheveningen (which claims to have the largest in Europe), Valkenburg and Zandvoort; all have an age limit of ‘over 18’ (passports must be shown).

Shopping
Special purchases include Delft (between The Hague and Rotterdam) blue pottery and pottery from Makkum and Workum, costume dolls, silverware from Schoonhoven, glass and crystal from Leerdam and diamonds from Amsterdam. Shopping hours: Mon 1100-1800; Tues-Fri 0900-1800; Sat 0900-1700. In Amsterdam, Rotterdam and other big cities, supermarkets are open from 0800-2000/2100. In large city centres, shops are open Sun 1200-1700. Shopping malls are also open on Sunday. Some cities also have late-night shopping on Thursdays or Fridays.

Note
Bulbs and plants may not be exported except by commercial growers, or by individuals with a health certificate from the Plant Disease Service.

Special Events
For a complete list of events and festivals held in The Netherlands, contact the Press and Public Relations Officer at The Royal Netherlands Embassy or The Netherlands Board of Tourism (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of special events occurring in The Netherlands in 2005:
Jan 26-Feb 6 Film Festival Rotterdam. Feb 6-9 Carnaval, Landelijk (parades throughout the country). Jun 8-18 Pasar Malam Besar (largest Eurasian festival in the world), Den Haag. Jun 18-24 Poetry International, Rotterdam. Jun 22-25 Folkloristisch Dansfestival, Bolsward. Jul 7-9 Bospop, Weert. Jul 8-10 North Sea Jazz Festival, Den Haag. Jul 23-28 Kwakoe Zomer Festival (multicultural festival), Amsterdam. Aug 3-7 International Folkloristisch Dansfestival, Odoorn. Aug 6-8 Amsterdam Gay Pride (and Canal Parade). Aug 26-Sep 4 Holland Festival, Amsterdam. Oct 16 Amsterdam Marathon. Oct 18-20 Zuidlaardermarkt (biggest horse and cattle market in Western Europe), Zuidlaren.

Social Conventions
It is customary to shake hands. English is spoken as a second language by many and is willingly used; many Dutch people will also speak German and French. Hospitality is very much the same as for the rest of Europe and the USA. It is customary to take a small gift if invited for a meal. Casual wear is widely acceptable. Men are expected to wear a suit for business and social functions. Formal wear may be required for smart restaurants, bars and clubs. Evening dress (black tie for men) is generally specified on invitation. Tipping: All hotels and restaurants include 15 per cent service and VAT. It is customary to leave small change when paying a bill. 0,5-1,00 is usual for porters, doormen and taxi drivers. Hairdressers and barbers have inclusive service prices.