A closer look
During the grueling 1574 Siege of Leiden, the Dutch decided to end the stalemate by simply drowning the invading Spanish army, deliberately destroying their own dikes. As the terrified Spanish soldiers fled the rising floodwaters, they left behind a still-hot cooking pot of mashed carrots, onions, and meat. The starving citizens of Leiden found this abandoned, soggy dinner and thought it was the greatest culinary masterpiece in human history. To this day, the Dutch celebrate their liberation every October 3rd by eating 'hutspot,' honoring the exact moment their enemies literally dropped their lunch and ran away.
