Indo Dutch Cuisine: the Colonial influence in Dutch Cooking

Mon, Nov 12th 2007, 00:00

Since the days of the Dutch East India Company and the Netherlands dominance over the spice trade with the East, Dutch tastes have been influenced by Asian cuisine, particularly Indonesia.


Spices are an integral part of Dutch Cuisine, from the flavouring in cheeses to the cloves and cinnamon that season savoury dishes, cookies and spice loaves.

The Indonesian feast Rijsttafel (literally rice table) has been Holland's favourite meal for special occasions since it was introduced to the Netherlands by East India Company sea captains in the 17th Century.

The basic concept of a rijsttafel is to eat a bit of this and a bit of that, blending the flavours and textures of the dishes which accompany a simple, unadorned bed of rice.

An Indo-Dutch feast accompanies the rice, from spicy meats to bland vegetables or fruits; from sweet-and-sour tastes to soft-and-crunchy textures.

Customary dishes include classic Chinese-style egg rolls, satay (small kebabs of pork, grilled and served with a spicy peanut sauce) and gado-gado (vegetables in peanut sauce).

There are bitterballen (spicy meatballs), daging smoor (beef in soy sauce) and kroepoek (crunchy, puffy shrimp toast).

On the sweeter side is serundeng (fried coconut), roedjak manis (fruit in sweet sauce) and pisang goreng (fried banana).

Karedok is a type of salad with shredded cabbage, beansprouts, string beans and basil leaves in a peanut sauce. Soto ayam is a chicken soup heady with ginger and lemongrass.

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