“Friettafel” Is the Cozy and Quirky Dutch Tradition I’m Trying This Winter
The weeks between Halloween and New Year’s Eve are basically a nonstop hosting marathon. With Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, and holiday parties galore, peak hygge season gets an infusion of winter cheer — along with all the stressors of having people over. If you want to host without the stress, a cozy Dutch tradition called “friettafel” is the easy (and dirty dishes-free) way to feed a big group at your home — and I can’t wait to try it.
Friettafel literally translates from Dutch to fries (friet) and table (tafel), which is extremely fitting, as it is the cozy and quirky Dutch tradition of eating fries (or other fried snacks) on a table covered in tin foil along with dipping sauces. It’s considered an easy way to entertain friends.
Friettafel is basically the Netherlands’ low-effort version of a charcuterie and cheese table. However, instead of hitting up your local deli for an expensive selection of brie and prosciutto, the Dutch spread is basically a table heaping with delicious fried snacks, which you serve on tinfoil or plastic wrap that you can throw away when your guests are done eating.
As a fan of all things cozy, I was immediately influenced when I stumbled upon a “Dutchcore” TikTok from @Annabelvaneijk demonstrating how people in the Netherlands pregame a night out with a literal table of french fries and tasty dipping sauces.
In her video, the creator styled a huge pile of fries in the center of the tinfoil-covered table, flanked by a surprisingly aesthetic flower design made of ketchup and mayonnaise, as well as a few different kinds of mustard and a mysterious “American sauce.” The icing on the cake was the candle sticks mounted in potatoes on each side — if that’s not hygge, I just don’t know what is.
Of course, you can make the friettafel tradition your own by using it for hosting a night in with friends instead of going out. After we did some additional research, it sounds like the Dutch also serve delicacies like frikandellen (a deep-fried minced meat sauce), kaasouffles (melted cheese in deep-fried dough), and korketten (Dutch croquettes). However, you can try alternatives like mozzarella sticks or cheese balls, or even put a less carb-forward twist on the trend by air-frying veggies, fruits, or protein. It’s completely up to you.
One of the best parts of friettafel is the extremely easy cleanup, as you don’t need any dishes and you can simply throw out the foil or cling film when you’re done. Only time will tell whether this will become the next TikTok-viral girl dinner, but I’ll definitely be incorporating it into my hosting routine this holiday season. Cozy vibes, comfort foods, good company, and stress-free hosting? What more can you ask for?
Further Reading
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