Frikandel

Dutch Delight: Frikandel

Periodically, EM reviews typical Dutch food products together with EUR international students. This edition, Velislava Gancheva from Sofia, Bulgaria tastes and reviews Frikandel. Velislava just graduated for her MSc in Marketing at ESE.The Review

Velislava happens to be familiar with the Frikandel already: “I see it often in the typical Dutch fastfood chains”, she says. From the outset Frikandel reminds her of the typical Bulgarian dish named Kebapche: “Kebapche is made from minced pork meat, which is prepared with a lot of spices, and then baked on a grill.”

However, Velislava changes her opinion upon tasting the Frikandel: it turns out to be quite different from Kebapche. Especially the fact that Frikandel is usually deep frozen and deep fried before consuming it, is clearly negative to her. “I think that it would much healthier, and the taste would be even better if Frikandel would be prepared on the spot”, she remarks.

But all in all, Velislava is quite positive about Frikandel, though it is not something she would eat every day. “It is rather a snack I would eat quickly on my way somewhere, or in between classes.” According to Velislava, Frikandel would be really nice with potatoes. She grants the dish 3,5 out of 5 stars.

Score according to Velislava: 3,5

1= I flushed it down the toilet

2= If you bought it anyway, eat it, why not?

3= Quite nice actually

4= Really good food

5= Best food I’ve ever tasted

The product

Frikandel is a long dark colored bar of different kinds of meat, which is consumed after deep frying it. It has the form of a sausage, yet the structure of a meatball. The dish was officially launched in 1954 in the Dutch city of Dordrecht. Butcher Gerrit de Vries was required to adapt his meatballs due to change in legislation. Instead of changing the taste of the dish, he decided to change it into a sausage-like meatball. Frikandel is sold at most snackbars all over the Netherlands, and it is officially the most popular snack in terms of sales in The Netherlands – even more popular than Kroket. LJa