Civil servants must be required to eat Dutch food: fair?
Remarkable news from the Dutch government: from today until October 10, 2025, Dutch cuisine is mandatory in the House of Representatives. Yes, it’s time for the (H)onest Dutch Bite! The House of Representatives has decided that the Dutch government must set a good example this week by serving only locally produced Dutch dishes in its staff restaurants. The goal? Promoting Dutch cuisine and supporting Dutch farmers, fishermen and growers.
No French brie (this is how you should eat brie) or salad with mozzarella for civil servants this week. Instead, extra attention is being paid to Dutch products.
Why the Dutch Bite?
The Dutch cuisine is rarely mentioned as one of the most popular cuisines in the world. No, when we think of delicious food, most people think of Italian pasta (do you know Malloreddus yet?), Japanese sushi and Mexican tacos. But Dutch cuisine has so much more to offer than we often think. The decision to focus on homegrown products in the House of Representatives is therefore a statement directed at both civil servants and us consumers: more attention for what the Netherlands itself produces.
Minister Femke Marije Wiersma emphasizes that Dutch farmers, fishermen and growers should receive recognition for their hard work and the products they provide. “We often buy our food without thinking, without considering where it comes from. This week, we want to show how valuable Dutch food is.”
A little flag not just on your cube of cheese
The desire for greater visibility for Dutch products is not new. A motion was previously adopted to place a small Dutch flag on Dutch products in supermarkets. Now this idea is being extended to the staff restaurants of the Dutch government, where the focus from October 6 to 10 will be entirely on Dutch dishes.
(H)onest Dutch Bite: what can civil servants expect?
During the (H)onest Dutch Bite, civil servants can expect not only endive mash with smoked sausage and kale mash with a juicy meatball. Modern, creative dishes that put locally produced ingredients at the center are also being experimented with. Think of a salad with cauliflower, chicken and beetroot, or Limburg-style sour beef with fries. And hopefully Brabant sausage rolls will also be on the menu.
Don’t be loco, go local!
We are rather good at tearing down our own cuisine, but surely that isn’t justified at all? Dutch cuisine is strongly connected to the seasons and the land. We grow the tastiest vegetables, have seas full of fish and farmers who work incredibly hard to provide the best meat and dairy.
Dutch dishes such as mash, croquettes, herring and even the Kapsalon have proven their international appeal, and Dutch cuisine therefore deserves more recognition. It’s time for us to embrace this strength.
And if you still want to keep one foot in a foreign cuisine, simply make mash sushi. If you dare, that is…
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