Christmas dinners in the Netherlands traditionally play an important role as a celebration where families get together and enjoy special dishes. Here are some of the Christmas dishes of the Netherlands:
Gourmet and Fondue: The Dutch often continue the tradition of eating “gourmet” or “fondue” on Christmas day. Gourmet is served by cooking vegetables, meats and seafood on personal mini pans or grills. Fondue is a dish in which bread, vegetables or fruit are dipped in melted cheese or chocolate.
Christmas Soup (Kerstsoep): Christmas soup is made in different ways in different parts of the Netherlands. It is usually made with vegetables, meat or broth. Especially “kerstsoep”, a variant containing seafood, is common.
Christmas Cookie (Kerstkransjes): Christmas cookies are a Christmas delicacy enjoyed by children and adults. These cookies are usually round in shape and covered with marzipan or chocolate.
Christmas sweets for children (Kerstkransjes): During the Christmas holidays, special sweets are produced for children. The sweets are made in round shapes resembling Christmas wreaths.
Christmas Cakes (Kerstststol): Christmas cakes are made in a yeast dough filled with a rich fruit mixture, marzipan and chocolate. They are sprinkled with icing sugar and cut and served.
Oudejaarsavond (New Year’s Eve) Desserts: Special desserts are made for New Year’s Eve in the Netherlands. These include sweet dough balls called “oliebollen” and apple slices called “appelbeignets”. These desserts are fried in hot oil and sprinkled with icing sugar.
Christmas meals in the Netherlands can be personalised and vary between families. Each family prepares Christmas dinner according to their own traditions and taste preferences, but the dishes mentioned above are traditional Christmas delicacies that are widely consumed throughout the country.