D’Orizio, Oliebollen
The Oliebollen, literally and accurately translated as ‘oil balls’, is a traditional dutch snack often enjoyed in the wintertime. During the winter holidays, the smell of fried dough and sugar wafts through dutch city centers and creates much-needed relief from the cold winter air. While I was living in the Netherlands, I often found myself being lured by Oliebollenkraam for a sweet treat to keep my mind off the cold damp. This deep-fried dough ball is comprised of a simple mixture of flour, yeast, salt, water, and sugar, occasionally with raisins or currants, and almost always topped with a generous dusting of powdered sugar. This oily delicacy originated in the Netherlands but has spread to Belgium as smoutebollen (lard balls) and France as croustillons.
D’Orizio, Oliebollenkraam
Bisset, Perchta
The legend goes that early pagan Germanic tribes used to make oliebollen during Yule, a period from December 26th to January 6th, so that the pagan witch Perchta would not slit their stomachs wide open and disembowel them. Some say that offering Perchta oliebollen could save you this brutal fate, while others believed that eating the oily dough ball would leave a greasy residue on them causing her sword to slip right off and spare them. Either way, these humble little treats saved your guts; For that, the Dutch were forever grateful and the tradition of eating oliebollen on New Year’s Eve has become ingrained in the culture.
Oliebollen have another, perhaps more practical usage as well – they were used as sustenance long ago as the ingredients kept well during the long winter months and the large batches could feed many people at a time. A young woman with a pot of oliebollen was painted in 1652 by famous Dutch artist Aelbert Cyup which shows its cultural significance through time. It was a prevalent food during the Middle ages, but this recipe was first recorded in 1683 and called oliekoecken (oily cookies) in the cookbook De Verstandige Kock of Sorghvuldige Huyshoudster. Then, in the late 1800s, oil balls became the more popular name. At the time they were boiled in lard, but now vegetable oil is used. Oliebollen are even considered the inspiration for the American donut as the recipe was brought by Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam and the colonies.
Cuyp, Young woman with cooking pot of oliebollen
Whenever I would walk through the streets of Den Haag, Haarlem, or Amsterdam I would always see huge crowds waiting for their Oliebollen treat. The delicious smell draws everyone’s cravings. On New Year’s Eve, however, it’s a complete madhouse. Lines will go around the block and people will wait for nearly an hour for this good luck treat. I fondly remember chowing down on these while ringing in the New Year with my best friend.
These little balls of dough, oil, and sugar have quite a bit of significance to me, even though I find them very oily and filling sometimes. Whenever I was out in the town and saw the oliebollenkraam I found them so endearing and festive. I would buy a few and bring them home for the children I nannied. Seeing the treats come out of the oil-soaked paper bag always made them jump with joy which brought me so much happiness while I was feeling homesick for the beautiful, snowy Canadian winter. After that, whenever I would see a lit-up Oliebollen cart I would remember this feeling of joy and my day would feel so much brighter.
And thankfully, the Oliebollen I consumed definitely warded off Perchta since I still have my bowels safely within my body.
Bibliography B, Sarah. “Traditional Dutch Oliebollen.” A Dollop of History, November 16, 2019. https://historydollop.com/2019/02/09/traditional-dutch-oliebollen/. Bassett, Carina. “The Myth of Frau Perchta.” The Storied Imaginarium, June 16, 2021. https://thestoriedimaginarium.com/2018/12/24/the-myth-of-frau-perchta/. Cyup, Aelbert. A Young Woman with a Pot of Oliebollen. 1652. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliebol#:~:text=Oliebollenaretraditionallyeatenon,orsuccade(candiedfruit). . D'Orazio, Julia. “Oliebollen: The History of the Doughy, Dutch Christmas Treat.” Food, December 1, 2022. https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/2022/12/02/oliebollen-history-doughy-dutch-christmas-treat. Manon. “Cooking in the 17th Century.” Historical Cooking Classes, April 21, 2020. https://www.historicalcookingclasses.com/cooking-in-the-17th-century/.
