Sure, I am Always Talkin’ Food, but I teach NT2 (Dutch as a second language) on the side. Mainly to young foreigners who came to Amsterdam for or with love and intend to stay. For privacy reasons the names in these columns are fictitious.
Food is an unfailing subject during Dutch classes. Start talking food, and everybody wants to chip in.
Which is a good thing in a language class.
Food loosens the tongues, in particular when the subject is the Dutch kitchen.
Johji from Tokyo finds Dutch portions, especially in restaurants, incredibly large: ‘In Japan we are used to small stylish dishes. But here you get a packed plate, with a mountain on top. Your country has no mountains, only on your plates.’ He laughs.
The Colombian Shadia is baffled: 'Large portions? No way!’
Shadia lives with her Dutch grandparents because she studies here, and every day she is stunned by the small amounts of food she is served.
‘You guys start in the morning with a cheese sandwich. Maybe two. That’s it. In Colombia we have a table filled with hot and cold dishes for breakfast. Beans, eggs, rice, sausages, meat, vegetables, fried bananas…’
The Brazilian Fausto fully agrees. Finally someone who sees food the way he does. But Brigitte from Paris simply can't get it: ‘An espresso and a cigarette. That's all I can keep down that early.’
Shadia looks as if she can smell the smoke, then continues undisturbedly: 'Then at lunch, that same cheese sandwich. While in our country, the table is once again filled to the rim with fritanga, arepas, tamales, soup, potatoes, rice.’
Now it’s Johji’s turn to look as if he sniffs cigarette smoke. ‘Echt’ (really)?
Shadia continues: ‘Only for dinner, I finally get something hot to eat here. But then again, so little and so early in the evening, that in the end I always go to bed hungry.’
She adds in despair: ‘Since I came to the Netherlands I have never been not hungry.’
‘Sounds more like hangry’, Brigitte chuckles as she sips her after-class borrel.
Would this be the moment to explain that in the Netherlands we make a difference between honger hebben (being hungry) and trek hebben (feeling peckish)?
I decide against it (for now). Instead, I leave the last vlammetje (borrel snack) to Shadia.
Food lingo
Breakfast - het ontbijt
Cheese sandwich - de boterham met kaas
Soup - de soep
Rice - de rijst
Drinks - de borrel
Trek?
Café-Restaurant Amsterdam, a true classic for more than 25 years, serves French brasserie dishes in Dutch portions. Whatever you order, be sure to include the crispy fries with homemade mayo. Guaranteed no trek afterwards.
Café-Restaurant Amsterdam, Watertorenplein 6 Amsterdam. Open Mon-Thur 10 AM- 12 PM; Fri-Sat 10 AM-1 AM.