Perhaps it’s just their infamous thriftiness or a rationing behavior left over from the war days, but the Dutch are not known for their generosity when it comes to food. Those sandwiches I mentioned usually have just a couple of ingredients like thinly sliced cheese and butter, and not much of either. Dutch bars serve the smallest beers in Europe, usually 6 to 8 ounces. Once I took a brief trip into Germany and went to a pub there, ordered a beer and was amazed when a nice half liter was put in front of me (it even had a marking on the glass to show the quantity). I was so astonished I said “Now this is a beer. You never get this in Holland” and everyone in the packed pub just cracked up and agreed!

Then there’s the cookie thing. There’s a legend that the Dutch only offer their guests ONE cookie with their very good strong coffee. Then they take the cookies away. I can confirm this is the case as the Dutch do serve a single cookie with coffee (don’t bother to ask for a second), even in restaurants. Then there’s that coffee. Just like many other European countries, it’s served in espresso cups. You can get it with steamed milk and the cup will be slightly larger. I remember my brother’s frustration at trying to get a cup of regular joe in Amsterdam. Everywhere he went he asked for ‘regular’ coffee. Of course he got espresso! He was dying for a nice big mug of ‘brown water’ with milk. He never got it!

Then there’s the movie theaters. If you’ve ever had to stand on line to buy tickets in Holland you’ve probably wondered why it takes soooo long for the line to move. I was curious too, so I watched what was happening. OK, I noticed your typical questions. And the Dutch theaters sometimes have several different prices for seats depending on the location or type of seat. (sometimes you can get served champagne with your movie!). So there is more to choose from. However, I discovered what was really holding up the line was that every Dutch person was buying their own ticket! Not only is it rare for the Dutch to treat their friends, but they seem reluctant to give others money to buy the tickets. This is the origin of the phrase ‘Dutch Treat’. In addition after each purchase, the Dutch must count their change and the remaining guilders in their purse. And so wait we must!

Despite their tightwad ways, the Dutch are very generous when it comes to donating to charity or worthy causes. But it must be a cause they really believe in.