Pannenkoeken are pancakes, but instead of being fluffy and thick like those in the U.S., these pancakes are very thin. You can put anything you like on top of them, even cheese!
The pannenkoeken were really good and I enjoyed them a lot! But I did not like the bitterballen that much. I did not think the bitterballen were lekker. But hanging out with friends while eating them was super gezellig! Socializing while eating a meal is an important part of Dutch culture. In fact, every Tuesday at lunch, everyone at my work plays a game of cards together. Everyone comes even if they don't know how to play!
Bitterballen are made by cooking veggies, meat, and spices together. After that, you press the meat into a ball then dip the ball into bread crumbs and fry it! The pannenkoeken are made almost like pancakes. You mix eggs, milk, and flour together to make a batter. But then they pour only a small amount of that batter onto the pan to cook it. Only using a small amount of batter is what makes the pancakes so thin!
The Netherlands is small, but they grow a lot of food! It is easy to buy fruits and vegetables grown from a farm close by! It's fun to know that the plants you see when you drive by a farm might be on your dinner table!
