Going Dutch

Random Facts about the Dutch taken from the book, Dutch Delight by Sylvia Pessireron:

Due partly to the increased consumption of dairy products, the Dutch started to shoot up like vines. These days each generation is, on average, 4.5 cm taller than the previous one and the Dutch have risen to become the tallest nation in the world.

'Cheese-head' is actually a Belgian derogatory term for a Dutch person. Today The Netherlands leads the world in cheese export.

A quarter of the Netherlands lies below sea level and about twenty percent of their land has been reclaimed form the sea.

The most popular Dutch fish snack is raw herring with onions.

Another typical Dutch dish is smoked eel. An amazing six million kilos of eel are smoked every year in the Netherlands.

The Dutch love their coffee. They drink, on average, three cups a day, that's 142 litres a year.

The Dutch invented the process of distillation and treated the world to jenever (Dutch gin). The world's first commercial distillery opened its doors in Amsterdam in the 16th century. And using sugar cane to distill rum was also a Dutch invention.

Heineken was the first brewery to start exporting its beer. THe beer is now sold in 170 countries.

Over 30 million kilos of licorice are consumed in the Netherlands each year. (That's 150 Euro worth)

On average, each Dutch citizen cosumes six kilos of sweets a year. nearly 2 kilos more than any other European.