Surinamese food: 9 dishes to try in the Netherlands

Suriname is such a tiny South American country that many people haven’t even heard of it before coming to the Netherlands, but once here, its culinary influence can't be missed. If you want to try some of the divine Surinamese flavours out there but aren't sure where to start, here's a primer on Surinamese food for you!

Why do you see so much Surinamese food in the Netherlands?

It might seem odd that a country almost 8.000 kilometres away, with a population of just 630.000 people, has such a presence in the Netherlands, but history provides the answer.

In 1667, the Netherlands swapped its colonial possessions in North America, including the settlement that later became New York, with the British, in exchange for sugar-rich territory on the north coast of South America. From that moment, Suriname was part of the Netherlands for over 300 years until 1975, when its independence was finally granted.

While there had always been some Surinamese culture and immigration to the Netherlands, in the run-up to independence, the Surinamese population had to choose between Dutch and Surinamese citizenship. Around 300.000 Surinamese locals decided to move to the Netherlands and take the offer of Dutch citizenship.

These people brought their various cultures, religions and food with them, and opened the Dutch up to the whole new world of Surinamese cuisine. Amsterdam has the second biggest Surinamese population in the world, after the capital Paramaribo!

What is Surinamese food like?

Suriname is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse countries in the world, and their food reflects this. The Dutch brought or encouraged people to come to Suriname from all over the world, mainly to work on the sugar plantations.

The largest ethnic group are Afro-Surinamese, who are generally descended from slaves the Dutch brought over from Africa, followed by Indians, who largely came over as indentured workers in the late 1800s, after slavery was abolished. However, these two groups together only account for around 50 percent of the population, with Javanese, Chinese, Lebanese and various indigenous peoples making up most of the rest.

This incredible cultural mix means that Surinamese food is an exciting combination of foods from all around the world. Often dishes are taken directly from another culture, and sometimes they are taken and tweaked, usually because of ingredients that were not available. Hence, you might find a classic Chinese dish, but made with added cassava and Indian spices.

Indian, West African, Creole, Indonesian, Chinese, British, Portuguese, Amerindian and Jewish dishes all come together to make Surinamese food a uniquely special treat! There are surprisingly few influences from Dutch food on the local cuisine, but the Dutch have made their mark on Surinamese food in the Netherlands.

Key elements of Surinamese food

Rice (nasi) and noodles (bami) feature heavily in Surinamese food, as does pomtajer, a sweet-potato-like root, roti, a flatbread almost the same as Indian roti, and bara, a fried fritter that can be sold plain for you to add your own toppings or stuffed with spicy fillings. Surinamese sandwiches (broodjes) are also delicious, with flavoursome fillings, and are an excellent antidote to the Dutch staple of ham and cheese.

Madame Jeanette is a Surinamese chilli that features heavily in almost all Surinamese cuisine. It is hot, but it also has a rich and quite fruity flavour. Often the Indonesian sauce sambal will be offered alongside a meal or in a sandwich. This can be extremely spicy, so proceed with caution!

Something useful for English-speakers to note: Ketjap is not ketchup! Ketjap is in fact a Javanese soy sauce, which is a little stickier, thicker and sweeter than Chinese soy sauce. Many Surinamese foods are cooked with or can be served with ketjap.

The top Surinamese dishes to try

Knowing those few core foods mentioned above will get you across the line in understanding the basics of a Surinamese menu, but here are some of the best Surinamese dishes that you should try.

Pom

This is the quintessential Surinamese dish, both in Suriname and the Netherlands. It’s traditionally a celebration dish, but don’t let that stop you from ordering it whenever you want!

It has Portuguese-Jewish roots and is a kind of tangy, citrussy chicken casserole with a pomtajer topping in place of the traditional potato, as potatoes didn’t grow in Suriname. Broodje Pom is also very popular in the Netherlands, with a scoop of casserole in a sandwich making a great lunchtime snack, but this is a very Dutch twist on the Surinamese classic.

Moksi Alesi

This is a Creole dish and is basically mixed rice. If that sounds vague, that’s because the dish is very variable, and each establishment will make it their own preferred way.

Typically, it’s rice mixed with any or made all of beans, salted meat, shrimp or fish. Often it will be served topped with a baked plantain or garter, a type of green bean.

Kippenpastei

These are somewhere between chicken pies and chicken pasties, and one of the best snacks for on the go. Usually sold as small, individual pasties, kippenpastei are typically made with slightly sweet and often flaky pastry, while the filling is spiced chicken and vegetables such as peas, carrots and corn.

Herie Herie

This is a hearty meal, meant for those who have working hard all day. It’s a carb overload! Boiled cassava, plantains, pomtajer and eggs are all placed together as a base, and then topped off with salted, shredded fish, usually cod (bakkeljauw), and a spicy peanut sauce.

Tjauw Minh

This one is simply a classic Chinese dish, but with the spelling of the name so different from the English transliteration that you might not recognise it. It’s simply Chow Mein! This is a wildly popular dish in the Netherlands and consists of noodles fried in soy sauce and topped with sliced meat of your choosing. Salty and irresistible!

Saoto Soup

This is a delicious chicken soup that made its way to Suriname from Java, in Indonesia. Often coming with added potato, vermicelli, bean sprouts and even an egg, this a soup that will fill you up easily! A perfect, comforting winter dish.

Moksi Meti

This name translates simply to mixed meat, and it’s a dish similar to tjauw minh, being fried noodles topped with meats, usually chicken and pork. The key here is the meat is usually marinated in rum or wine before being slow-cooked, which gives a really rich flavour to the dish.

Bakabana

Take one plantain, slice it up, cover it in a sweet batter and deep-fry. Serve with a drizzle of peanut sauce. It sounds simple but it tastes divine!

Boyo

Boyo, also known as bojo, is one of the few sweet Surinamese dishes that made it to the Netherlands. It’s a cake made from grated cassava and coconut, sometimes with added rum. Raisins are usually mixed into the batter, and a sweet topping such as sprinkles is added after baking. It’s originally a celebration cake, but no one is checking if it really is your birthday!

Surinamese food in the Netherlands

There are loads of places to try Surinamese food in the Netherlands, ranging from snack bars to fancy eateries. You might find restaurants tend to specialise in one culture’s dishes, so one place might have mostly Indonesian-inspired dishes, while another is much more Indian, which just means more trips out to make sure you experience all the options! Amsterdam, the Hague and Rotterdam are particularly known for their range and quality of Surinamese food.

So what are you waiting for? Which of these amazing foods has gone straight to the top of your must-have list? Let us know in the comments below!