If you’re after Dutch food specialties why not buy some spiced speculaas biscuits or the ubiquitous “drop” – a strong licorice that comes in every shape and flavour including salty (yuck). For breakfast the Dutch are obsessed with Hagelslag, chocolate sprinkles served on top of white bread spread with butter (!) At Christmas stop for Oliebollen from the trucks that pop up all over town – Oliebollen are a kind of very heavy (cannonball-like) doughnut with raisins or candied fruit, dusted in icing sugar and eaten warm. If you are lucky enough to be in The Netherlands in December you’ll get to enjoy Sinkterklaas which deserves a whole post in itself. Food-wise it means chocolate letters for kids and heaps of pepernoten and kruidnoten – hard or chewy speculaas-flavoured mini biscuits which are available everywhere.
