Dutch lunch: bread and cheese

In the Netherlands, it is common to have lunch together. During lunch, people mainly eat cold dishes. This usually includes bread and a piece of fruit or vegetables. Often, buttermilk (karnemelk) is also on the table: a drink with a distinct taste that you either love or hate.

‘There is an abundance of bread. Just taking a piece of bread because you threw some pindakaas (peanut butter) on there, that’s not lunch. It never will be. You need more substance.’ ––––––––‘I saw these sandwiches and weird salads. They seemed to be leftovers. Like: whatever was left over, we’ll make it a salad.’ ––––––––‘It is easier to eat healthy here than in Argentina. Here you eat a lot of vegetables and the quantities are healthier, too.’ –––––––– ‘At 11.50 everybody stands up. Lunch consists of bread, cheese and karnemelk.’ ––––––––‘In Spain we normally lunch around two o’clock in the afternoon and lunch is always warm. And because we have breakfast at eight, we eat a mid-morning snack, like a yoghurt. Here at twelve, everyone goes for lunch. So, the first day I was invited to join and saw bread and cheese. And I am like: Is this lunch? What’s going on?’ ––––––––‘Dutch people would state things. They’d say: “ham AND cheese on your bread?” Actual comments on what from their perspective is considered ‘normal’. But I think since the numbers of expats has changed, this has improved as well.’ ––––––––‘I was surprised to find sandwiches with hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles) for lunch. In my home country, only children eat those.’