Oliebollen

The one at the end of our street popped up 10 days ago or so. There are several others scattered throughout the city, which I see from the tram or the metro. What are they? Well, I'm still not completely certain.

"They" are trailers where oliebollen are sold. The trailers are like the kind you would find in the States at carnivals, selling cotton candy or caramel apples (oh, that sounds good right now...). There are even carnival-style lights and carnival-style lettering on the trailers. The one at the end of our street has a 5th-wheel camper parked behind it; I presume that is where the oliebollen trailer owners live.

Oliebollen translates into "oil balls". Americans would call them doughnuts without the holes. Taiwan-familiar family members would call them "meiguo youtiao". And they taste like meiguo youtiao. There are plain oliebollen, apple oliebollen, olive oliebollen, raisin oliebollen...you get the point.

So many questions...who are these oliebollen sellers? Are oliebollen only sold during the fall? Is the fat content of oil balls more than Krispy Kremes? Finally, where is the carnival?