08/06/2026
Myth: Dutch people only eat cheese.
It is a myth. But only just.
The Dutch eat a lot of cheese. Not a little. Not a reasonable amount. A lot. Walk into a supermarket and you will quickly understand why the stereotype exists. There are entire walls dedicated to it, and most Dutch households have at least one type sitting in the fridge at any given moment.
But if you stop there, you miss a huge part of Dutch food culture.
The Netherlands is a country built for comfort food. There are hearty stews that appear as soon as the weather cools down, thick soups that seem specifically designed for rainy days, pancakes served as full meals, and potatoes that somehow find their way into almost everything.
Then there are the influences that have become part of everyday Dutch life over generations. Indonesian food is deeply woven into the Dutch food scene, with rijsttafel being one of the country's most distinctive dining experiences. Surinamese food is equally loved, especially in cities like Amsterdam, where grabbing a roti or a Surinamese sandwich is completely normal.
These cuisines arrived through the Netherlands' colonial history, but today they are an important part of the country's food culture and reflect the communities that helped shape modern Dutch society.
One of the biggest surprises for visitors is how varied eating in the Netherlands can be. People arrive expecting cheese and leave talking about bitterballen, stamppot, poffertjes, Indonesian food, Surinamese food, apple pie, fresh bread, and snacks they still cannot pronounce properly.
So yes, Dutch people eat a lot of cheese.
They just eat a lot of other things too.
If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam,
