Tasting Amsterdam
Part of the fun of visiting a new city is sampling food and drink. Sometimes you make fabulous new discoveries – and if you don’t like something, well you never need to order it again. Amsterdam has a few local delicacies you really should sample. Here’s some food for thought…
Cheese please
Dutch cheese is famous. To get a rounded picture of why, visit the Reypenaer Cheese Tasting Room. Located in Amsterdam’s centre, you can personally evaluate the flavour, aroma and quality of several cheeses all under the guidance of an expert cheese taster. They also have an Advanced Tasting (with wine) and a Connoisseur Tasting (with wine and port). Not a cheesy idea at all! If you’re looking for a unique souvenir how about Dutch Design Cheese? Here, baby Dutch cheese can be ordered online in a fancy designer jacket!
Cheers all round
The next stop on your tasting experience should be Wynand Fockink’s tasting bar, which has been going since 1679. Many of the traditional liqueurs on offer date back to the 17th and 18th century when the VOC imported the necessary exotic spices, nuts and fruit to distill them in abundance. Sample old Dutch liqueurs with very intriguing names like Bruidstranen (The Bride's Tears) - a spiced wine served in the days leading up to a wedding - or even stranger, Hansje in de kelder (Hans in the cellar).
Bols and beers
Two popular Amsterdam attractions which give you the opportunity to try the goods are the Heineken Experience and the House of Bols Cocktail & Genever Experience. The House of Bols is an interactive adventure that takes you into the glamorous world of cocktails, spiced up with the history of the world’s oldest distilled liquor brand, Bols. Heineken is another household name, and at the experience you’ll get to know all about this multinational company, and two beers are included in the admission charge.
Taste of Amsterdam
At the annual Taste of Amsterdam event held in June, you can sample the best of Amsterdam’s culinary delights in one place. This tasteful event is part of an international festival that began with Taste of London and has since spread to some of the world’s greatest cities – Dublin, Cape Town, Dubai, Sydney – and of course Amsterdam. Mingle with top chefs as you sample signature dishes from prestigious restaurants and discover a stunning selection of fine wines and specialty foodstuffs, all in the beautiful surroundings of Amstelpark.
Go on a tasting tour of Amsterdam and sample the city’s culinary delights in some unique surroundings.
- Tell a friend