Eierbal
UNESCO World Heritage for your culinary bucket list
It resembles a giant type of croquette. Then you find a layer of ragout and a whole egg inside its crispy coating. Whether you want to try all of the culinary surprises Groningen presents, or simply feel like a late night snack: the eierbal (Dutch Scotch egg) is something you must try at least once in your life.
Proud of our ‘aaierbal’
To Groningen residents, the eierbal has become such part of life that they sometimes forget just how special it is. The ‘UNESCO immaterial cultural heritage’ is not received overnight. Since this recognition, Groningen pride has overcome the level-headedness. This has resulted in the most awesome variants on menus: from quail eggs to roti balls. The snack is even honoured with a festival of its own. Should you have worked up an appetite for an eierbal, simply visit a random snack bar or order mini variants at De Drie Gezusters at the Grote Markt.
Groningen economy at its best
How could anyone ever come up with the idea of wrapping an egg in a crispy coating? Some refer to the similar Scotch egg as its source of inspiration, while others indicate Indonesian influences. But there was a reason the recipe of the Groningen eierbal developed in the years following World War II. During the post-war reconstruction, life was all about frugality. Food was to fill stomachs and be cheap, and the initial eierballen comprised not much more than boiled eggs in a coat of soaked stale bread. But they do taste a lot better today.