My D is in Amsterdam right now. If you need a silly souvenir - check out the Hagelslag (sprinkles) section in the grocery.
Hagelslag on bread with butter or nutella seems to be the rage. They have lots of flavors etc… I thought it was a funny cultural quirk.
^^
Haha, I grew up eating hagelslag but did not mix it with Nutella as most people sprinkle in on butter. I still have it in our pantry. Easy to find on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Deruyter-Chocoadehagel-Chocolate-Sprinkles-14-Ounce/dp/B001BBYC42
For a quirk, Holland might be one of the few places in Europe that values … peanut butter!
@xiggi she is also enjoying some kind of waffle cookie - with caramel?
Stroopwafels!!!
Yep, that’s it. Skieurope mentioned it earlier. The interesting part of that part of the world is that each city seems to be known for a specialty, although they often overlap. This is the French/Flemish variation:
http://en.meert.fr/waffle-history.html
What we commonly call the Belgian waffle is (mostly) the Brussels waffle. There are many different ones with the heavier and sugary waffle from Liege being most known.
What is interesting is that one drives one hour and the specialty do change. I think that this is one of the most interesting part of Europe. You do get the French fries everywhere --not always as good as in Belgium-- but the small variations of local delicacies make all the difference, and especially in street food. Of course, one also sees those awful Turkish/Greek influenced meats gyrating in waiting for the next customer.
She went on some kind of pancake boat ride too.
For authentic Dutch home cooking, try Restaurant Moeders. Chosen by Time Out Amsterdam magazine’s readers as the Best Dutch Restaurant, Moeders (which means ‘mothers’ in Dutch) is a tribute to ‘your mother’s cooking’, assuming, of course, that your mom was from the Netherlands.
Food was very good, albeit a bit heavy for me. Their restroom was interesting,plastered with hundreds of framed pictures of mothers.
I disagree that we know all know the Anne Frank story. I found the house and museum fascinating, with its history of her father’s business, the architecture of the house itself (and why the whole Secret Annex could be secret), the mystery of who turned them in, etc. It’s a poignant place. After getting the online tickets and walking right in, I have no idea why so many people still have to wait in a long line. It can be a worthwhile and efficient experience.
Stroopwaffel made as you wait are the best! (I mentioned them upthread also)
I haven’t been to Amsterdam in way too long, but I found the Anne Frank house to be compelling and important…even though I “knew the story.” Seeing the actual building made a strong impression on me - maybe some people don’t respond to the physical world in the same way, but I would definitely have that on a top 3 list for Amsterdam. I will return on my next visit; it’s that powerful.
stradmom, I felt the same way about the physical reality of the Anne Frank house. Being able to hear the church bells next door, seeing the bicycles outside (and knowing that the Nazis banned Jews from owning bikes early on) all made a huge impression.
My Hebrew comprehension is weak, but it meant the world to me to stand in that house listening to the introductory presentation in Hebrew.
If u like stroopwafels, just buy them at any Albert Heijn supermarket. The supermarket brand is just as tasty as the fancier packaged ones, and the Albert Heijn ones are less than half the price. There are a number of Albert Heijn supermarkets in Schiphol Airport (on the check in counter side of immigration). I just went thru that airport last week and bought a dozen bags of stroopwafels for my kids.
Also a nice treat are Hopjes coffee candies.
Dutch sweets