It’s been ages since I’ve spoken about the strange things the Dutch eat. So here’s to the start of a new series, Dutch Food. Today I want to talk about Appelstroop!
How to eat
After I had my appelstroop on toast, I was curious to see how others ate it. Apparently it’s perfect paired with cheese and spread into small rolls. I had neither of these items so I went head first and spread it onto wheat bread.
Texture
Appelstroop, or apple butter, is a mixture of apple sauce, cider, and other spices that are caramelized together. It’s has a thick texture that resembles molasses and can be spread on bread or pancakes. I was able to slice it with a butter knife and apply it like butter. It’s also comparable to smooth jam. Appelstroop is easy to spread and hold together nicely. Which means won’t liquify if you add it to warm bread.
Scent
It has a nondescript jam smell to it. I can’t place what sort of jam it is, but I think if you think of generic jam… This is the scent. It’s not sweet or sour though, just fruity.
Taste
I went into this expecting a sickly sweet apple flavor but I was so wrong! The flavor is similar to that of a tart apple. It’s got nip and bite, and can even be called a bit sour. It took a few bites for my tongue to adjust to it but it was a shock! I was expecting apple flavor to the max but all I could taste was the tart. It was still good though and I enjoyed it. I was a bit tempted to add some sugar to it but in the end I left it as it was.
To eat or not to eat
If you enjoy sweet jams, I recommend you steer clear of Appelstroop because the sour flavor might turn you off. However if sour apple appeals to you, go for it! It was still delicious enough that I’ll continue to eat it but I do want to try it with buttered toast. I’m going to put it on my pancakes too and see how it does. The recipe I use for pancakes allows them to be quite sweet without syrup so I think it will be a good pair.
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