What's particularly exciting about krokets is that they can be obtained in special snack dispensing kiosk things like the Snackomatic.
Really, they're alright. If you like deep-fried, mystery meat filled, breaded cylinders, that is. On my last day in the Netherlands circumstances were such that I ended up eating virtually nothing but krokets and their kin. Needless to say, I'm not too bummed that there won't be anymore krokets in my immediate future. But if you happen to find yourself in Holland, they should be in yours.
Kroket Man is sad.
There is something called a Croquette (same word, different spelling, it seems) on the menu at many Japanese restaurants around T.O. Both their name and ingredients lead me to suspect that they are not an authentic Japanese dish, but what do I know? Croquettes are basically deep fried breaded mashed potatoes (sometimes with the addition of a few kernels of corn). They, unlike their Dutch counterpart, are extremely delicious.
ReplyDeleteThe entry about croquettes on Wikipedia says it best:
ReplyDeleteWhereas previously the dish was regarded as a French cuisine delicacy of varying meat or vegetable content, in the 1800s it became a way to use up leftover stewed meat. After World War II, several suppliers started mass-producing croquettes[14] filled with beef. The croquette subsequently became even more popular as a fast food; a deep fried meat ragout covered in breadcrumbs. Its success as a fast food garnered its reputation as a cheap dish of dubious quality, to such an extent that Dutch urban myths relate its allegedly mysterious content to offal and butchering waste. The "kroket" is even so popular that it is sold at McDonalds. Besides the common ragout type filling, other popular fillings served in fast food restaurants are whole boiled eggs, noodles, shrimps and rice. A smaller version of the kroket, the bitterbal,[15] is often served with mustard as a snack in bars and at receptions.