Distinctly Dutch
In springtime, Amsterdam in the Netherlands is a city in full, luxurious bloom. Its signature gabled buildings are nestled among a spiderweb-like network of 165 canals joined by picturesque bridges clad in bouquets of riotous flowers. Locals zip from place to place on multicolored bikes, stopping to enjoy their afternoon coffee with jodenkoeken (butter cookies made for dunking) on a café terrace. Vendors pack Amsterdam’s famous flower market with a kaleidoscope of tulips, and visitors and Amsterdammers alike buzz in and out of the city’s world-class art museums to admire masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Van Gogh. People travel from far and wide to experience Amsterdam’s cosmopolitan culture, but they also come to get a taste of the city’s thriving baking scene that’s at the very core of Dutch identity.
In the countless bakeries lining Amsterdam’s cobblestoned streets, pastry cases display flaky (puff pastry filled with custard and topped with pink fondant) and marzipan-covered cakes. Children stop in to take their pick for their after-school snack while adults order batches of (cream puffs filled with whipped cream and topped with chocolate) to take home as an indulgent coffee time treat. Fresh-baked sourdough and hearty grain-studded rolls are always within reach. All the better, because in the Netherlands, breakfast and lunch are known as “bread meals.” Breakfast is usually made up of thick slices of country bread topped with Gouda and sprinkled with cracked
