Dutch Pancakes
Seriously, it is a must. You cannot leave Holland and not have Dutch pancakes. They are famous for them. As they should be; it is a marriage of two of their most infamous culinary qualities: bread and sweets. We made a point of eating Dutch Pancakes at a nearby cafe in Amsterdam. They were essentially crepes, sometimes plain and often with thinly sliced ham or cheese or apples baked right into the batter. Frequently, they come with a topping be it raspberry or cream, honey, powdered sugar or chocolate. Shockingly, maple syrup is not always on the list.
Which reminds me. We ran into a kindly Dutch gentleman when we were renting a small canal boat. He had visited the U.S.A. and had much to say [with a large dose of disdain] about American pancakes: all thick and drenched in syrup. He was appalled and could hardly stomach 2 bites.
And while the Dutch very-large crepes were magnificent, we were perhaps even more enthralled with the mini-me's that appear at festivals. Little carts shoot up with a sign saying 'Poffertjes' which means 'come running.' Not really, but that is our response. It too, means Dutch pancakes but little ones, of the bite-sized variety. And you buy them with toppings like butter plus powdered sugar (pictured here, barely in time, before we inhaled them), liquor such as rum or cointreau, or whip cream (slagroom in Dutch) and strawberries.
No doubt we will have to try each variety; we are here after all, and it is our duty.
For more stories and tales, food tips and travel hiccups visit my other blog, family frolics.
