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Netherlands
The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland, also commonly called Holland in English, in reference to the provinces North-Holland and South-Holland) is a Benelux country and a founding member of the European Union. The Netherlands borders Germany to the east and Belgium to the south. To the west, the country faces the North Sea and the United Kingdom. The people, language, and culture of the Netherlands are referred to as "Dutch".
Eat
Dutch traditional cuisine is basic. However, due to influences from Indonesian, Surinam, Chinese, Turkish and (North) African immigrants there is an abundance of food cultures to choose from. In the big cities you can eat good Thai food (on the Nieuwmarkt in Amsterdam for instance) for a bargain price, and in the Chinese quarters you can get authentic Chinese food. You will also be able to find a restaurant from every corner of the world (especially in Amsterdam). Every bigger village has its own Chinese restaurant where you can eat a lot for little money. The taste is aimed at the Dutch citizen. They have been influenced by the Dutch-East Indies from the times as they were a colony of the Netherlands, like the famous 'Dutch Indonesian Ricetable' with a variety of small dishes. It is also a bit comparable with Chinese or Eastern take-away-shops in other countries. These restaurants often advertise as "Chin.Ind." meaning "Chinese/Indonesian". Most of them have a sit-in area and a separate counter for take-away with lower prices. Also around every corner in a city centre, near public transportation areas or even in more quiet quarters is a 'snackbar', also known as 'friture' or 'cafetaria'. It mainly sells french fries (also known as "patat" or "friet" (pommes-frites)). You can have a lot of things added to your french fries: mayonnaise ('frites sauce'), (tomato-)ketchup, curry sauce (different than the regular curry, this curry sauce tastes more like ketchup), pinda sauce (peanut- or satay sauce), cut raw onions, etc. They also sell all kinds of other fried snacks, like "kroketten" ('croquettes') and "frikandellen" Other snacks you could try there are: "broodje kroket" (a roll with a ragout-filled, crispy covered kroket snack), "frikandel speciaal" (a long cylinder of spiced meat, cut open and adorned with mayonaise, ketchup or curry sauce, and optionally sprinkled with raw onion) and "patatje/frites oorlog" (french fries with mayonnaise and pinda sauce, optionally sprinkled with onion). Note that "mayonnaise" in the context of French fries is distinctly different from French mayonnaise, and is more accurately described as "frietsaus" (fries sauce); it is firmer, sweeter and contains less fat, whilst remaining just as unhealthy. The snacks listed here are very much the antithesis of high cuisine, but among with other "typically dutch" food, some of the things Dutch expats miss most about their country. Modern Dutch restaurants and cafés serve good quality food. Mostly consisting of meat, fish, served with fries,saute or boiled potatoes and vegetables or salad. If you eat in a café then food is affordable, you can also go to upmarket restaurants where prices go up equally. Most of the time profit is made from the drinks, so be careful there if you're on a budget.
Sources: wikitravel.org The Netherlands 