The Netherlands - Kibbeling (fried fish) in Open Market

The open market every Saturday is one of the highlights of my life in the Netherlands. When I was in the US, there is also something similar called the farmers market. However, even though they offer fresh produce, most of the vegetables and fruits are more expensive than those sold in huge groceries stores like Walmart. Plus, they close really fast, around noon. By then, most of the good stuffs will be gone.

In the Netherlands, the open market is normally huge. I heard the biggest open market can be found in Rotterdam, and I'm proud to say that I've been there. It was truly large, and they have wide selection of produce and goods like cheap clothes, accessories and house wares.

Every time I passed the market, I always see these fried fish called kibbeling being sold in stalls that sell fresh fish and seafood. At first I thought these fried fish would be soggy and oily because it has been left in open air for quite some time and it's always chilly outside. My mind associates it with french fries that have been stored in an air-conditioned room for an hour.

But being adventurous, I can't help but to try it. I bought these for 3.50 euro. And of course, all fried foods in the Netherlands has to be eaten with mayonnaise. After all, they call mayonnaise frittesaus (the sauce for fried foods).

The kibbeling turned out to be very fresh and crispy. The fish meat was juicy and delicious. It really went well with the mayonnaise. It's SUPER GOOD.

How many calories? Bah, I don't care. It's too delicious to miss!