EAT: Amsterdam

Though only a few hours from each other, the cuisine in Amsterdam is a world away from Paris. I also stayed in an apartment with my parents for this leg of the trip, which gave us the opportunity to grocery shop and live like residents, not tourists (which I loved). There are two basic foods I crave each time I'm in Amsterdam: Currant buns, or krentenbollen, which are soft, pillowy rolls and advocaat, a soft custard-like brandy treat. YUM! I'm not exaggerating when I say that I consumed both items for the majority of my meals.

Like Paris, most menus are available in English. I'm not sure if this was a translation misprint, or if these nachos truly came with beet salsa. Though adventurous, I was not about to venture into Mexican Dutch food.

Most of my restaurant eating revolved around traditional dishes like homemade soups and simple sandwiches. Even the most basic sandwich comes with delicious gourmet cheese.



These are cheese wheels from the shop my cousins own


It seems like the majority of pastries are either ginger spiced or made with almond paste (whose taste is similar to marzipan). Both flavors are exponentially better than our typical vanilla bean or chocolate overload. And the best baked goods can be found right in the famers markets, probably still warm from baking that morning.

Needless to say, after attempting to consume every flavor and delicacy both countries had to offer, I had my work cut out for me upon returning home. Luckily moving 25 boxes full of books is a great cardio workout.