The fried dough ball traditionally eaten in the Netherlands on New Year’s Eve is called an oliebol.
Oliebollen are deep-fried balls of yeast-based dough. The dough commonly contains raisins or currants, and the finished pastries are usually dusted with powdered sugar. The plural form, oliebollen, is the name most often seen for a serving or batch.
They are strongly associated with the Dutch winter holiday season and are sold from temporary street stalls and specialist stands in the weeks around New Year. Their round shape and rich, fried preparation make them a festive cold-weather food.
Oliebollen are sometimes compared with doughnuts, but the names are not interchangeable. The Belgian version is often called a smoutebol, while Dutch oliebollen are the characteristic New Year pastry of the Netherlands.