Business trip: Amsterdam, Netherlands 4/4

Helsinki, 6 degrees



Stories should be natural as apples, brief as lust, long as a thought.

This time I want to focus on one my favorite subjects: food. When I recently visited Amsterdam for a business trip, I knew very little of the local food culture. Of course, I knew that there would be beer (Heineken) and cheese in the Netherlands, but that was it. It was interesting to learn that Dutch cuisine is simple and straightforward, with many vegetables and little meat. At #SoMeT15EU, we had bread and pastries with toppings like salmon and apple for lunch, which I heard were very typical. At my hotel, I had bread with delicious Gouda cheese and ham, as well as yoghurt, for breakfast. I also heard that dairy product are very popular in the Netherlands.

Tällä kertaa haluan kertoa yhdestä suosikkiaiheistani: ruoasta. Kun vähän aikaan sitten kävin Amsterdamissa työmatkalla, tiesin etukäteen hyvin vähän hollantilaisesta ruokakulttuurista: ainoastaan Heineken -oluet ja juustot. Siinäpä se oikeastaan. Oli mielenkiintoista kuulla, että hollantilainen ruokakulttuuri on varsin arkinen. Ruuissa käytetään paljon kasviksia ja vähän lihaa. #SoMeT15EU -tapahtumassa söimme täytettyjä leipiä ja leivonnaisia lounaaksi, ja myöhemmin kuulin että tämä edusti hyvin paikallista ruokakulttuuria. Hotellissa söin voileipiä ja jogurttia aamupalaksi. Maitotuotteet ovatkin toinen paikallinen erikoisuus.

I later heard that the Netherlands is a real cheese country. More than 674 000 tons of kilos of cheese are produced each year and Dutch cheese is exported to 130 countries around the world! We have Gouda and Edam in the Nordics, how about you? 

Myöhemmin kuulin, että maa onkin varsinainen juustomaa. Alankomaissa tuotetaan vuosittain 674 000 tonnia juustoa, ja juustoa viedään 130 eri maahan ympäri maailmaa. Itse tunnistin ainakin Goudan ja Edamin, tunnetko muita hollantilaisia juustoja?

At Noorderlicht Café, where we had the first common dinner, I tried a local stew. In the Netherlands, apparently the stew (stamppot) is a traditional meal and consists of meat, potatoes and vegetables. The various ingredients are first prepared together or separately and then mashed together. Some of the most popular Dutch stews are kale and/or sauerkraut stews with smoked sausage and fried bacon, potatoes, onions, carrots, pork meat rib, apples and bacon or black pudding. 

Noorderlicht Caféssa, jossa söimme ensimmäisen yhteisen illallisen, maistelin paikallista lihapataa. 

So what did I find out that we Finns have in common with the Dutch? At least two things! Herring and licorice! Salted herring is referred to as Hollandse Nieuwe and may only carry the name if it contains a certain percentage of fat and is prepared in the traditional Dutch manner; cleaned, filleted and salted that is. The Dutch eat herring as a snack, as do we Finns. Another thing that we have in common is the black candy, the salty licorice. The Dutch are truly addicted to these salty sweets, as are we Finns. Therefore the Netherlands is truly a liquorice lover’s dream country, as is Finland. I also loved other candy in Amsterdam; the small pastel colored chocolate goodies seen in the first picture here and also the sour suckers I found at #SoMeT15EU!

Mitä meillä suomalaisilla on sitten yhteistä ruokamielessä hollantilaisten kanssa? Ainakin kaksi asiaa! Silakka ja lakritsi! Rakastuin myös paikallisiin karkkeihin; ensimmäisessä kuvassa olevat pikkuiset pastellinväriset suklaarakeet ja kirpeät tutit, joita #SoMeT15EU -tapahtumassa jaettiin!



What is your image of Dutch food? This time I brought home an Amsterdam cap to my boyfriend, but what Dutch food would you bring back home as a souvenir?

Mitä mieltä olet hollantilaisesta ruokakulttuurista? Tällä kertaa toin kotiin Amsterdam-lippiksen poikaystävälleni, mutta mitä olisit itse tuonut tuliaiseksi?



What's your opinion?

  1. I never had anything that was Dutch food

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  2. I love Dutch food and although I couldn't bring with me, there's a great sweet - actually very small pancakes, called Poffertjes! Sooo good! We can make them, the recipe is easy and so delicious!
    DenisesPlanet.com

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  3. mmm cara quante bontà a presto

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@elisabeth.rundlof