On our 1996 trip to Amsterdam, I was introduced two Dutch gastronomical treats that I remember with great fondness and hunger. While my wife and I were wandering through the streets, we came upon a small food trailer with a crowd of people congregating in front of it. It was a vendor selling Frits (French fries) with a generous glob of mayonnaise on top of it. The only condiment I had ever had with my North American, French fries was ketchup, and I found these freshly fried frits topped with mayo, amazingly delicious. Just now writing about them, makes me hungry.
The other food we were introduced to while visiting my sister in Amsterdam is vla. Dutch vla, also known as vlaflip is a creamy, silky vanilla custard pudding, but what I found unique about it (besides its scrumptious creamy taste) was the fact that it came in milk carton-style containers. While originally a vanilla flavored puddling, it had evolved, and now also came in chocolate and caramel flavors. There were rows of Vla cartons lining Dutch grocery shelves.
When my sister served us some vla for dessert, she mentioned that vla was very popular with heroin addicts, something that has always stuck in my mind. You really didn’t have to be addicted to heroin, to also become addicted to vla. It is probably a good thing vla is not available around here, because it would be something I could probably not pass up in the grocery store.
I am sure that there were other delicious Dutch treats that were available while we were in Amsterdam, but these two are the ones that are most memorable to me.
You can view my paintings at: davidmarchant2.ca
No comments:
Post a Comment