Food is one of the most enjoyable topics to explore in any new language. Dutch cuisine may not have the worldwide fame of French or Italian cooking, but it has its own delicious character — hearty, practical and deeply satisfying. From the famous Dutch breakfast of bread and cheese to the Indonesian-influenced rijsttafel, this article covers all the essential food and drink vocabulary you need.
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Wist je dat?The Netherlands is one of the world's largest exporters of cheese! Gouda (named after the city of Gouda) and Edam (named after the city of Edam) are exported worldwide. There are traditional cheese markets still held in cities like Alkmaar and Gouda where you can see the classic cheese-carrying traditions.
🌅 Breakfast: Het Ontbijt
A typical Dutch breakfast is built around brood (bread) and boter (butter). The Dutch are world champions of the open sandwich!
| Emoji | Dutch | English |
|---|
| 🍞 | het brood | bread |
| 🧈 | de boter | butter |
| 🧀 | de kaas | cheese |
| 🍯 | de jam / de marmelade | jam / marmalade |
| 🥚 | het ei / de eieren | egg / eggs |
| 🍳 | het spiegelei | fried egg (sunny side up) |
| 🍳 | het roerei | scrambled eggs |
| 🥚 | het gekookt ei | boiled egg |
| ☕ | de koffie | coffee |
| 🍵 | de thee | tea |
| 🥛 | de melk | milk |
| 🧃 | het sap | juice |
🍽️ Meals of the Day
| Dutch | English | Typical content |
|---|
| het ontbijt | breakfast | Bread, cheese, cold cuts, coffee |
| de lunch / het middageten | lunch | Open sandwiches, soup |
| het avondeten / het diner | dinner | Hot meal: potatoes, veg, meat |
| de snack / het tussendoortje | snack | Fruit, biscuits |
🥩 Meat & Protein
| Emoji | Dutch | English |
|---|
| 🥩 | het vlees | meat |
| 🐔 | de kip | chicken |
| 🐄 | het rundvlees | beef |
| 🐷 | het varkensvlees | pork |
| 🐑 | het lamsvlees | lamb |
| 🐟 | de vis | fish |
| 🦐 | de garnaal | shrimp / prawn |
🥦 Vegetables: De Groenten
| Emoji | Dutch | English |
|---|
| 🥔 | de aardappel | potato |
| 🥕 | de wortel | carrot |
| 🧅 | de ui | onion |
| 🧄 | de knoflook | garlic |
| 🥦 | de broccoli | broccoli |
| 🫑 | de paprika | bell pepper |
| 🍅 | de tomaat | tomato |
| 🥬 | de sla | lettuce / salad |
🍺 Dutch Drinks
| Emoji | Dutch | English |
|---|
| 🍺 | het bier | beer |
| 🍷 | de wijn | wine |
| 💧 | het water | water |
| 🧃 | het vruchtensap | fruit juice |
| 🥤 | de frisdrank | fizzy drink / soda |
| ☕ | de koffie met melk | coffee with milk |
Wilt u iets drinken? — Ja, een glas water alstublieft.Would you like something to drink? — Yes, a glass of water please.
Ik houd van kaas maar ik ben allergisch voor noten.I love cheese but I am allergic to nuts.
✏️ Practice
- I want bread with cheese → Ik wil brood met kaas
- I don't eat meat → Ik eet geen vlees
- The breakfast was delicious → Het ontbijt was lekker
🔗 Continue Learning