Dutch Food Delights: Borrelnootjes

What

Borrelnootjes – a snack food that is made up of a nut (usually a peanut) covered in a flavoured crispy outer shell, often served at parties. The flavour of the shell can vary from a salty yet herbal flavour to a spicy paprika.

Why

To truly appreciate the wonder that is borrelnootjes, we need to do a quick Dutch vocabulary lesson. Borrelnootjes is actually a compound word, made up of the word borrel and the word nootjes. Nootjes means nuts, in actual fact it means little nuts (stop laughing!) because when you add “je” to a word you are indicating that whatever you are talking about is small in size.

Borrel means drink but more of the boozy, party like drink. A child wouldn’t have a borrel. So, borrelnootjes are boozy drink nuts. And that would be why you often find them at a party.

Where

You can find these crispy snacks at the supermarket near the nuts section. You can also usually find them at petrol stations.

When

Borrelnootjes can be eaten whenever you want, to be honest, but they seem to taste best at a party or event, especially if the party involves alcohol.

Varieties

There are many, many, many varieties of borrelnootjes. The variety usually relates to the flavour but can also be in relation to what else comes in the package. You can find bags of just borrelnootjes and bags that include other snacks, similar to Japanese rice snacks.

How Much [Should I Eat]

I would say this depends on how much alcohol you have drunk and how hungry you are. Borrelnootjes tend to be quite addictive once you get going. Also make sure you find a flavour that works for you. If the plain flavour is a bit boring, go for the paprika flavoured ones or spicy ones.

Pas Op! (Watch Out!)

You will find borrelnootjes under different names. This can be anything from knabbelnoten to tijgernoten.