My favorite food that I have tried abroad is the famous kroket. The Dutch are known for their fried food. The kroket is usually filled with mashed potatoes and meat of some sort and then fried. They have many foods like this in windows on the street, which you can put change in – like a vending machine for fried food! It draws large crowds for college kids late at night!

I also enjoy going to the market and getting fresh vegetables. I recently went to the Grote Markt, or Big Market and picked up a pineapple, tomatoes, avocados, kiwis, mangos, sweet potatoes, and eggs for a total of five euros. Even college kids cook with fresh vegetables and have substantial meals, unlike the stereotypical American college student. They would never eat ramen or chicken nuggets for dinner – in fact, they all looked at me crazy when I tried this.

For breakfast, my roommates can be seen eating boiled eggs on bread with mayonnaise or chocolate sprinkles on bread with coconut oil or butter. Another notorious Dutch food would be the Stroopwaffle. They are mini, crispy waffles, typically with caramel in between them. The Dutch will dip them in their tea to melt the caramel.

The Dutch love food as much as I do, and they also enjoy the conversations at the table just as much. There is a tradition to have dinner together with the whole house on Tuesdays. We eat and drink and ask about each others day. This is a tradition that I would love to take home with me, as my roommates and I rarely eat together. Not only is it a nice thing to do, but it saves money on food cost when you split it, or “go Dutch”!