The traditional Dutch deep-fried dough ball eaten around New Year's Eve is called an oliebol, or oliebollen in the plural.
Oliebollen are made from a yeast-based dough that may contain raisins, currants, or pieces of apple. The dough is dropped into hot oil and fried until golden, then commonly dusted with powdered sugar. In the Netherlands, temporary oliebollen stands appear during the winter holiday season.
The name combines olie, meaning “oil,” with bol, meaning “ball.” Although they are strongly associated with New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, they are also eaten at other festive times. Their round shape and rich, warming ingredients suit the cold-season celebration.
Oliebollen are sometimes compared with doughnuts, but they are not identical: traditional versions are usually irregularly shaped and made from a wetter yeast dough. Belgian versions are known as smoutebollen, while Dutch recipes vary by region and household.