Ins and outs of the Dutch Christmas tradition: Gourmetten

So, you’ve decided to stay in the Netherlands over the Christmas holiday and you’re celebrating the Dutch way. Well, you’re in for a treat - or at least, something different from your usual Christmas dinner of turkey, vegetables and gravy; you get to go gourmetten!

What is gourmetten?

Don't be fooled - gourmetten does not mean you're in for some gourmet Dutch food. So, what is it actually?

Gourmetten is a popular Dutch dining tradition where you gather around a tabletop hotplate to fry your own meat, fish, vegetables and even pancakes or omelettes in tiny little pans. It's kind of like the Dutch answer to the Swiss raclette. 

If you were expecting a quick meal, you should change your expectations. That's because gourmetten is all about being gezellig. It's about sitting at the table with your family, cooking together and chatting. 

Alongside the meat and vegetables, most people will adorn their table with all sorts of accompaniments like salads, baguettes, sauces and more. 

Where does gourmetten come from?

This is a much-speculated topic, but it is thought that gourmetten came to the Netherlands from the Dutch East Indies. Other sources say that the popularity of gourmetten in the Netherlands is the result of an extremely successful advertising campaign in the 1970s by the former Dutch Meat Office.

Back then, the Dutch Meat Office saw the popularity of cheese fondue growing and, as they didn’t want cheese to become more popular than meat, decided to do something about it. At the time, however, eating meat on a daily basis was not common and many people who hadn’t grown up with meat needed to learn how to cook it.

To get the Dutch population to eat more meat, two chefs were hired to tour the country and promote gourmetten to the public and help butchers sell more meat. And, well, as you can see it definitely worked; gourmetten is now an integral part of Dutch Christmas traditions!

Will you be enjoying a gourmet Christmas?

So, will you be welcoming gourmetten into your home this year? If you are, don’t forget to be patient with the meal you are cooking and enjoy the gezellig-ness of this typical Dutch tradition!