#35 | Travel Log Day 66 | Enjoying Local Gourmet Food in the Dutch City of Enschede

Hello, this is Ao, currently traveling around the world.
This time, I'm sharing my story of staying in Enschede, a city in the eastern part of the Netherlands. I stayed here as a stopover on my way from Amsterdam toward Germany.

Travel

Amsterdam to Enschede

I traveled from Amsterdam to Enschede by FlixBus. It was comfortable with Wi-Fi.

Inside Enschede city

To get around Enschede, I used the buses operated by RRReis. You can pay the fare by tapping your credit card when boarding and alighting.

The display inside the bus was easy to read.

Strolling

Enschede is a university city and had a very calm atmosphere. To be honest, it's not a city you would visit for sightseeing, but once you step away from the bustling center, it becomes quiet all of a sudden, so I recommend it for those tired of big cities. It's also close to the German border, and you can reach Germany by cycling for about 30 minutes.

Oude Markt

Oude Markt is a square where a market used to be held in the past. There is a church in the center, and cafes are lined up all around it. The terrace seats at the cafes were lively. The streets extending from here were also lined with cafes and shops, creating a fun atmosphere.

Volkspark

I also went to a park located near the center. It had a fountain and a peaceful atmosphere. With playground equipment and a bird sanctuary, it was a park that both adults and children could enjoy.

Market

I happened to be able to visit the market held every Saturday. There were many stalls selling food such as vegetables and fish. It was lively and fun just to walk around. I had some fried fish at this market.

The market was held at Van Heekplein in the center of the city. On market days, the square was filled with stalls, but on days without a market, it was a spacious area that felt like a completely different place. There are various shops around the square, so it seems like it would be fun to visit even on days when there is no market.

Gourmet

In Enschede, I ate food that would be found on a local dining table.

Pannenkoek

Pannenkoek is a pancake. Pancakes are so much of a national food in the Netherlands that they were sold in large quantities at supermarkets as well.

We had pannenkoek at a restaurant called Le Pompidou. At this restaurant, we could top the plain batter with our favorite ingredients. We chose ham, cheese, and mushrooms. We also ordered a Hollandse Pannenkoek (Dutch-style pannenkoek), which came with pre-selected ingredients. They were €14.75 (approx. 2,700 yen at the time) and €16.50 (approx. 3,000 yen at the time) respectively.

The pancake batter is thin and chewy. The Hollandse Pannenkoek contained green onions, potatoes, and bacon, and it was delicious with sour cream. The flavor of the green onions and the chewy batter reminded me of Korean pancakes (chijimi). The pancake I customized myself was good, but the Hollandse Pannenkoek tasted even better. It makes sense that the ingredients were pre-selected.

This shop was located in a residential area on the south side of Enschede. There was a goat farm right nearby, and I was able to see the goats. There were many families with children at the goat farm.

Fried fish (Lekkerbekje)

I had a large piece of fried fish at the market. The price was €6.00 (approximately 1,100 yen at the time).
When I ordered the fried fish, the lady sprinkled curry powder on it and added mayonnaise. There were three types of mayonnaise, but I chose garlic mayonnaise. This combination of curry powder and mayonnaise was excellent. The fried fish itself was crispy and very delicious. It was a white fish, likely cod.

There were also bite-sized pieces of fried fish, which are called Kibbeling.

Oude kaas sandwich

Oude kaas means "old cheese" in Dutch. It is a hard cheese aged for over 10 months.
I enjoyed it as a focaccia sandwich at a cafe.

Along with a solid saltiness, I could feel a rich sweetness deep down. It was an irresistible taste for a cheese lover.

Arretjescake

Arretjescake is a cake made by crushing biscuits and setting them with chocolate. It wasn't too sweet, but it was rich and really felt like "chocolate!" My mouth was in heaven.

Chocomel

Chocomel is a cocoa-like chocolate drink that you often see in Dutch cafes. When I ordered it, I was asked if I wanted whipped cream on top. I don't like cream, so I didn't have it added, but it seems to be the Dutch way to have it. It cost €3.5 (approximately 650 yen at the time). At this shop, it came with a bite-sized butter cake, which was also delicious.

Chocomel is also sold in supermarkets.

Stroopwafel

Stroopwafels are treats made by sandwiching caramel syrup between thin waffles. The outside is crispy, and the inside is moist. They have a lovely cinnamon aroma. I found a pack of 15 at a supermarket for about 100 yen. Even though they are cheap, they are delicious enough.

Vla

Vla is a custard-like dessert based on milk. So far, I have only seen it in the Netherlands. It comes in vanilla and chocolate flavors. It is thick and delicious.

Appelflap

Appelflap is a triangular pastry filled with apples. The raisins in the apple filling added a nice accent. The coarse sugar on the puff pastry was also delicious. I bought a pack of two at a supermarket for €1.78 (about 330 yen at the time).

Hagelslag

I personally think Hagelslag is an essential food in the Netherlands. It is chocolate sprinkles to put on bread. I have always wondered why it is not sold in Japan, as it would surely be popular with children.

Conclusion

Although Enschede does not have many famous tourist spots, the center is lively, and it is quiet a little further out, so I thought it seemed like a very livable city.

As I felt in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, which I visited just before, I was impressed by how deeply rooted bicycles are as a primary means of transportation in the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, roads for bicycles are well-maintained, so it seems like a comfortable ride. When riding a bike in Japan, I have to ride right next to cars while avoiding parked vehicles, which was scary, so I felt envious of the Dutch bicycle paths.

Next time, I will talk about my trip to Berlin, Germany. Stay tuned!