The Dutch Quest

 

Dutch culinary traditions and techniques are influenced by its location in the rich North Sea river delta of the European Plain, which has given rise to fishing, farming (for crops and domesticated animals), and sea trading, as well as the country's previous colonial empire and the spice trade. Dutch food is traditionally basic and uncomplicated, with a lot of vegetables and little meat: breakfast and lunch are usually bread with cheese toppings, while supper is meat and potatoes with seasonal vegetables.

The cuisine is rich in dairy products and low in carbs and fat, reflecting the nutritional demands of the labourers who shaped the country's culture. It is best described as rustic, with little embellishments, but several holidays are marked by unique meals.

The Dutch diet and cuisine evolved over the twentieth century. It grew increasingly cosmopolitan as a result of its colonies' eating cultures (especially the Dutch East Indies), and most foreign cuisines are represented in the major cities.

Little evidence is available about food and drink in the late medieval Low Countries. In the consumption of pottage, the Low Countries were not very different from other Western European countries during the Middle Ages. Half-liquid pottage consisted of milk, beer, water, root vegetable and peas or grain, sometimes enriched with a piece of meat. The content changed throughout the seasons.

The potato gained popularity in the late 18th century, and by 1800, it had become a staple meal.  While the wealthy could eat whatever they wanted in the early nineteenth century, the working class ate bread (rye bread in some areas) and potatoes, occasionally fish and other seafood, fruit and vegetables, but rarely meat: "the Dutch diet in the nineteenth century consisted of some bread, and a great deal of potatoes." Their diet was basic, consisting of things like bread and herring. Throughout the nineteenth century, many individuals were malnourished in some way.

The humble and simple appearance of what is currently regarded as traditional Dutch food appears to be a relatively recent development. The new availability of mass education in the twentieth century meant that a large number of girls could be sent to a new school type, the Huishoudschool (housekeeping school), where young women were trained to be domestic servants and where lessons in cooking cheap and simple meals, often based on more traditional Dutch dishes, were a major part of the curriculum, leading to increased unintended consequences. Frugality, excellent table manners, and healthy eating were among the values emphasised in that educational system. 

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