Poffertjes Time!

All the Christmas decorations are coming out in Amsterdam, it really feels like a special time, with special foods and drinks. They've really borrowed a lot from the German Christmas markets, but with a Dutch twist.

First - you start seeing these food trucks "Oliebollen krammen" showing up in various plazas, including Schipol Plaza!!



I loved the photo above because it was such a gray/cloudy day, I was in Schipol grabbing lunch before a train, and outside, in the corner of Schipol plaza, right outside the exit to get to the taxis, there's this bright little food truck sitting there..

Inside these foodtrucks, they're essentially mobile donut makers, frying up oliebollen (oil balls, there's got to be a better English translation!), and other variations, include apple-filled oliebollen, and of course, wafels.



Then, inside the city, they've converted many public areas, like the Leidseplein from an area with seats for the bars nearby and vendors into an super small ice-skating rink, and huts selling all sorts of great hot snacks for the cold, including bratwurst, churros (spanish donuts?), poffertjes (incredibly yummy mini-pancakes with butter and powdered sugar), wafels, pannekoeken (Dutch pancakes, a cross with a crepe and American pancake), chocomel (warm hot chocolate) and gluhwein (sweet warm red wine) Other plazas, like the Rembrandtplein are also converted into festive little areas.



It's so nice to see these little huts, it really feels festive! And, there's nothing like being in the cold weather and enjoying hot freshly-made poffertjes with a cup of warm hot chocolate! You've got all the essential food groups - pancakes, butter, sugar, and chocolate milk!

But - five Euros for the poffertjes/mini-pancakes! Totally worth it!