bitterballs in Dutch culture
How to eat bitterballen? That question brought you to my site.
Well sir, madam. Bitterballs are served with mustard and a beer.
I gathered some bitter ball information for you to read. Enjoy.
bitterbal
The name bitterbal, litterally bitter ball, does not indicate that its taste is bitter. They were meant to be served with a bittertje. A small glass of Dutch jenever, not quite the same as gin.
Bitterballen are still served in bars, or served as finger food at stand-up receptions. The sight of a formally dressed person trying to eat elegantly a still too hot bitterbal whilst holding a glass of champagne is as Dutch as someone letting a herring slide down his or her throat at a fish stall at the market.
How do they taste...
- On the menu, I noticed with curiosity, bitterballen. I wanted to try something new, so I asked the waitress what bitterballen was. After fumbling a bit for a translation, she explained that they were meatballs. Simple enough, we thought. But, what arrived were tiny balls, perfectly round, breaded and deep-fried, along with packets of mustard. Breaded and deep-fried meatballs? With mustard?
I took one bite, and they were nothing like any meatballs I had ever tasted. The crisp fried outer layer betrayed a steaming, weirdly creamy center with strands of meat that barely resembled beef. The only thing I could compare the texture too was a tuna casserole. One bite was enough. Whether we had been treated to poor specimens of bitterballen or they are just an acquired taste, I can't say.
a conversation on bitter balls:
- I have found that Bitterballs are an integral part of Dutch culture and the fact that I dislike eating these has prevented me from fully integrating in Holland ?
Does anyone have the same problems ?
- Well, not bitterballs in particular, but just Dutch food in general.....lately, I would prefer to starve rather than have another limp broodje kaas for lunch.
- I think these bitterball things can be quite nice, so I'm told. It depends entirely how they're made, just in my experience so far they taste of nothing but balls of oil!
- That's not bitterballen, that's olieballen.
- Oh, what's the difference then?
- Bitter ballen are the little croquette type things made of thickened soup and are savoury, Olie ballen are like donught mixture deep fried and are sweet.
- Oh right, thanks.
