When I first moved to the Lowlands I remember pondering why the selection at my local grocery store was seemingly so poor. I couldn’t put my finger on what exactly was missing, but the cramped aisles certainly seemed to be lacking some of the essential food groups.

The problem eventually dawned on me: there was a disproportionate amount of shelf space being dedicated to completely useless and/or inedible items. City supermarkets in the Lowlands are small to begin with therefore there isn’t much space to lose! Yet, astoundingly, shops throughout the Netherlands seem quite willing to dedicate entire rows to...wait for it.Canned Sausages!

Given the amount of shelf space dedicated to these tubular treats one can only safely assume that Dutch people must eat these tiny sausages in absurd quantities!

Across the pond we, of course, have our fair share of hot-dogs. But it must be said that hot-dogs strictly appear on the menu in a handful of predefined occasions/locations. These being a) back yard bbq’s b) camp sites c) children’s birthday parties d) street vendor stalls. These occasions all have one thing in common: convenience! Let’s face it, in North-America you eat hot-dogs because it’s quick & easy, not because you necessarily want to.

Based on their dominance of super-market shelf space – we simply can’t figure out the Dutch dining rituals involving these mystery meats. Do the Dutch eat sausages for lunch? Dinner? At borrels? At parties with happy little Dutch flags sticking out of them? All of the above? Why are they in cans? And tins? And shrink-wrapped? And more importantly, why are they called cocktail sausages? 

Dear Dutch readers, enlighten us. Have we missed the mark? We understand what makes a warm German bratwurst so yummy… but what is truly so special about your wieners? 😉