The city of Arnhem, Netherlands is a place I’ve never been—that is, until 2 October 2023. Arnhem is perhaps best known to history-inclined Americans as the site of a World War II battle in September, 1944.
However, my father fought in the Pacific Theater during the war, and for the Baylor family the importance of Arnhem is that it’s home to good friends. I’ve been to Netherlands and nearby Germany enough times to know what we can expect in terms of food and drink, but refresher courses never go out of fashion.
It should come as no surprise that meat and potatoes top the menu card.
The more well-known Dutch dishes are generally filling and warm due to the Netherlands’ cold winter. Here are some well-known, traditional Dutch dishes.
Happily “tradition” in the Dutch culinary context has long since evolved to embrace the furthest reaches of our planet, and I’ll never forget two decades ago when a friend and I walked the few blocks separating Haarlem’s train station from its central square and counted roughly 18 different national cuisines among the eateries we passed, including Indonesian, Ethiopian, Indian and Peruvian.
A similar representation awaits us in Arnhem.
Even if local people invite you for a dinner, it is typical for everyone to pay for their own food. By the way, even though this practice is adopted in many countries around the world, it is often called “Going Dutch”. Finally, there are no special table etiquette rules in Arnhem, so typical eating habits would be fine there.
Speaking as one currently engaged in a long-term project to reduce the amount of red meat and fowl consumed on a daily basis, there’ll be numerous meat-based temptations in Arnhem, and I’ll certainly succumb to them, although not at every meal.
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The mere presence of international cuisine in Arnhem guarantees a range of choices, and after all, I remain a committed pescatarian and intend to aim for the first onion-dredged raw herring that crosses my path.
After Arnhem, there’ll be an excursion to Denmark before returning to Haarlem, with more great friends at every stop. Sightseeing may well be restricted to tavern and bistro interiors, and so it’s fortunate I’m not claustrophobic.
At least yet.
Photo credit: I Am Expat website, which goes deep into Dutch cuisine.
