Eierbal
UNESCO heritage for your culinary bucket list
From the outside, it looks like a huge bitterball. But inside that crispy jacket is a layer of ragout and a whole egg. Whether you want to taste all of Groningen's culinary surprises or just fancy a nightly greasy bite: you must eat an eierbal at least once in your life.
What is an eierbal?
An eierbal is a typical Groningen delicacy. A hard-boiled egg, coated in ragout, breaded and deep-fried. The result is a crispy exterior with a soft, savoury filling of egg and ragout. An ideal snack that you can eat at any time: as a quick lunch, snack or after a night out. Best of all, you eat the eierbal without cutlery (and without shame). Now that is enjoying the good life.
The origin of the eierbal
But how do you come up with an egg in a crispy jacket? Some cite the similar Scotch Egg as inspiration, others sage on Indonesian influences. The truth is that the eierbal was born of pure Groningen frugality. The snack originated in the years after World War II. During the reconstruction, frugality coursed through everyone's veins. People wanted good food, but cheap. And not all ingredients were readily available. Old breads were soaked in water and used as stuffing or breadcrumbs. Thus, the eierbal was born: a boiled egg, in a jacket of soaked old bread. In the 1950s, many lunchrooms and cafeterias served egg balls. Fortunately, these days they taste a lot better.
Ball of fame
UNESCO intangible cultural heritage
The eierbal is more than a snack; it is cultural heritage that symbolises Groningen tradition and identity. For the Groningers, it is now so commonplace that we forget how special our 'aaierbal' actually is. But a snack does not get the UNESCO immaterial cultural heritage stamp just like that, of course. The eierbal ball connects generations - from grandparents in the fifties to the students who still get it after a night out. A tasty piece of history.
All kinds and flavours
When it comes to the eierbal, pride wins out over Groningen sobriety. The craziest varieties appear on all sorts of menus. For example, the mini egg ball, filled with a quail egg; a perfect snack. Or the eierbal with sambal, for those who like a little spice. But also the rotibal, the cheese eierbal and the truffle egg ball. Vegetarians need not lament either: increasingly, you can also choose an eierbal with vegetable mash. Want to try an eierbal yourself? Stap into a Groningen snack bar, or go for the mini egg balls at De Drie Gezusters on the Grote Markt.
