I was a teenager living in The Netherlands when the Dutch national soccer team won the European Cup in 1988. Proud Nederlanders dressed in orange and lined the streets as the team bus made its victory tour through the country. Now, as the Dutch team prepares to face Spain in the World Cup final on Sunday, I'm donning my orange shirt once again and cheering for Holland's first World Cup championship.

What better way to celebrate the Dutch team on Sunday than by partaking in some traditional Dutch cuisine? But wait, what is traditional Dutch cuisine?

One of the first things you learn when you spend time in The Netherlands is that the Dutch love their vegetables and potatoes. When describing a meal, they will invariably mention the vegetables first, then the potato, then the meat; which is quite the opposite of how we Americans approach a meal.

One ubiquitous Dutch menu item is a combination of mashed potatoes, onions and carrots called hutspot, a dish that has special significance during this World Cup final with Spain, since legend has it that the recipe first made an appearance during the Dutch battle for independence from Spain called the 80 Years War.

Another Dutch favorite is french fries with mayonnaise, which you would order as "frites met" - which literally translates to "fries with." To the Dutch, there is no question about what goes with fries. It's either with mayo or without. Ketchup? Who needs ketchup?

As you would expect from a country reclaimed from the sea, the Dutch eat a lot of fish. Herring, sole, mussels and eel are among the regular favorites.

You can never go wrong serving a Dutchman an open-faced sandwich. Top it with chocolate sprinkles (hagelslaag) or Nutella for breakfast, or ham and a slice of gouda for lunch. If you want to get really fancy, top that ham and cheese sandwich with a fried egg and you've got what they call an uitsmijter, a dish available at nearly every cafe in the country.

Pancakes are always popular, as is erwtensoep, a thick pea soup with smoked sausage. And the Dutch consume more licorice (called drop) than any other population in the world.

My ultimate Dutch meal, though, is one that I frequently eat at my grandparents' house: steamed carrots in butter, boiled potatoes, and slow-braised beef called draadjesvlees. I always thought that draadjesvlees translated to "dragon's meat," but it turns out the name actually refers to "little threads," which is how the meat appears once it is done cooking. I do know that it's delicious, and my Oma was kind enough to share her recipe.

Oma's Draadjesvlees recipe Ingredients 3 lbs round steak, 1 - 1 1/2 inches thick 1tbsp tomato paste 1/2 cup butter or margarine Beau Monde seasoning salt pepper 3/4 cup water Directions 1. Pierce the steak all over with a fork to tenderize and rub or pound in salt, pepper, and Beau Monde seasoning. 2. Melt butter or margarine together with one level tablespoon of tomato paste on medium-high heat. As it starts to turn a nice brown color and lose all its red color, add the steak and sear both sides. It should sizzle. 3. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the meat brown slowly, as long as 30-45 minutes per side. 4. Add 3/4 cup water to the pan and bring to a boil. 5. Cover and simmer for 1-2 hours.

The meat is done when it starts to disintegrate into threads.

Eet smakelijk, and Hup Holland Hup!

Jessica Webster leads the Food & Drink section for the AnnArbor.com community team. You can reach her at JessicaWebster@AnnArbor.com.