A Dutch tradition: Oliebollen

An oliebol (plural oliebollen ( pronunciation (help?info)) is a traditional Dutch food. Oliebollen (literally oil balls) are traditionally eaten on New Year's Eve and at funfairs. A Dutch person eats on average eight oliebollen on new years eve.^{[citation needed]} They are also called smoutebollen(literally lard balls) in Belgium. Sometimes it is referenced in English as Dutch donut.^{[citation needed]}

Oliebollen are a variety of dumpling made by using two spoons to scoop a certain amount of dough and dropping the dough into a deep fryer filled with hot oil. In this way, a sphere-shaped oliebol emerges.

The dough is made from flour, eggs, yeast, some salt, milk, baking powder and usually sultanas, currants, raisins and sometimes apple pieces and zest or succade. In some family recipes beer is added to the dough.^{[citation needed]} The dough needs time to rise for at least an hour. Oliebollen are usually served with powdered sugar.

They are said to have been first eaten by Germanic tribes in the Netherlands during the Yule, the period between December 26 and January 6. The Germanic goddess Perchta, together with evil spirits, would fly through the mid-winter sky. To appease these spirits, food was offered, much of which contained deep-fried dough. It was said Perchta would try to cut open the bellies of all she came across, but because of the fat in the oliebollen, her sword would slide off the body of whoever ate them.^[1]

A very similar type of doughnut can be found in Belgium and France. Croustillons are deep fried dough balls served hot and liberally sprinkled with powdered sugar. They are usually served in a paper cone with a little plastic fork to eat them with. They are typically found at fairgrounds in Belgium and in Lille, France.