Dutch Food Vocabulary — 80+ Essential Food Words with Examples

Q: How do you say food in Dutch?

Food in Dutch is het eten or de maaltijd (meal). Eating is eten which is both the verb and the noun.

Q: What is a typical Dutch food?

Typical Dutch foods include stroopwafel (syrup waffle), hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles on bread), bitterballen (fried snacks), herring (haring) and stamppot (mashed potato with vegetables).

Q: How do you say I am hungry in Dutch?

I am hungry in Dutch is Ik heb honger (literally I have hunger). I am thirsty is Ik heb dorst.

Q: How do you say delicious in Dutch?

Delicious in Dutch is lekker. This word is used very frequently in Dutch. Het is lekker — It is delicious.

Food is one of the most practical topics to learn in any language. Whether you are ordering at a Dutch restaurant, shopping at a supermarket in the Netherlands, or chatting with Dutch friends, knowing Dutch food vocabulary is essential. In this guide you will learn over 80 Dutch food words organised by category.

🍎 Fruit in Dutch — Fruit

Dutch	English
de appel	apple
de banaan	banana
de aardbei	strawberry
de druif	grape
de peer	pear
de sinaasappel	orange
de citroen	lemon
de mango	mango

🥦 Vegetables in Dutch — Groenten

Dutch	English
de wortel	carrot
de tomaat	tomato
de aardappel	potato
de ui	onion
de knoflook	garlic
de paprika	bell pepper
de broccoli	broccoli
de sla	lettuce / salad

🥩 Meat in Dutch — Vlees

Dutch	English
het vlees	meat
het rundvlees	beef
het varkensvlees	pork
de kip	chicken
de vis	fish
het ei	egg

🥛 Dairy and Bread

Dutch	English
de melk	milk
de kaas	cheese
het brood	bread
de boter	butter
de yoghurt	yoghurt

🇳🇱 Typical Dutch Foods

Learning food words is more fun when you know the traditional Dutch dishes:

de stroopwafel — syrup waffle (two thin waffles with caramel filling)
het hagelslag — chocolate sprinkles (eaten on bread with butter)
de bitterballen — deep-fried meat snacks, served with mustard
de haring — herring (raw fish eaten with onions)
de stamppot — mashed potatoes with vegetables
de poffertjes — small fluffy pancakes
de oliebollen — deep-fried dough balls, eaten at New Year
de erwtensoep — thick pea soup, popular in winter

💬 Useful Dutch Food Phrases

Ik heb honger. — I am hungry.
Ik heb dorst. — I am thirsty.
Het is lekker! — It is delicious!
Ik lust dit niet. — I don't like this.
Mag ik de rekening? — May I have the bill?
Wat wil je eten? — What do you want to eat?
Ik ben vegetariër. — I am vegetarian.
Ik ben allergisch voor noten. — I am allergic to nuts.
Smakelijk eten! — Enjoy your meal!

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How do you say food in Dutch?

Food in Dutch is het eten. A meal is de maaltijd. To eat is the verb eten.

What is a typical Dutch food?

Typical Dutch foods include stroopwafel, hagelslag, bitterballen, haring and stamppot.

How do you say I am hungry in Dutch?

I am hungry is Ik heb honger (literally I have hunger). I am thirsty is Ik heb dorst.

How do you say delicious in Dutch?

Delicious in Dutch is lekker. Example: Het is lekker! — It is delicious! This word is used constantly in Dutch.

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Want to expand your Dutch vocabulary?

See our complete guide to the 1000 most common Dutch words.

📖 1000 Most Common Dutch Words →