The Food Hypes of Down The Rabbit Hole

Of course, FavorFlav had already spotted them for you: the food hypes defining this festival summer. They also set the tone at the admittedly wet but highly successful 2016 edition of Down The Rabbit Hole. And no doubt you’ll come across them in the coming months at the festival of your choice, too. Handy to know what’s what when you do. Poke go!

1. Poke

Hawaiian raw fish originally served with sea salt, local seaweeds (including the red limu kohu) and chopped roasted kukui nuts. You won’t find the latter in the Netherlands. But you will find spicy mayo (spicy ahi) or soy sauce on top. At DTRH, the piece of raw swordfish was served on rice, ‘American-style’. With two crispy tempura prawns as a bonus. And finished with wakame and salmon roe. A perfect bite to keep you going through the night. Here’s how to make it at home, by the way.

2. Slush cocktails

They spread around the world at lightning speed. And DTRH was no exception: the brightly coloured slush cocktails, childlike in appearance and childishly delicious, served from a real slush machine. Essentially granité, lemonade syrup and alcohol. Add a straw and the night can’t go wrong.

3. Arepas

When you’re talking hangover food, you’re talking arepas. The grilled corn bread, especially popular in Venezuela, filled with anything from chicken to shredded beef. At DTRH, the corn bread had the consistency of mashed potatoes – the base – and rösti – the top. And it certainly didn’t taste bad.

4. Fish and chips

Since Brexit, we haven’t seen any decline in the popularity of this typically British chip-shop dish with ‘kibbeling’. In other words, fish in a deep-fried batter jacket. It’s filling, thanks to the fish it’s sort of healthy, yet at the same time a deliciously greasy treat. How had nobody thought of this before? This is the perfect festival food. Please Bremain.

And more

Slow and fast, cold and hot coffee; high tea (although of course that should really be afternoon tea…); grilled lobster/squid/mackerel; Smac ’n cheese; the weed burger, rendang and ‘breakfast until the night do us part’, including a Bloody Mary.

What we missed

Poutine, that traditional Canadian dish of fries, cheese curd and gravy (gravy, lots of gravy), which is impossible to imagine any festival without, especially in North America and Canada. The ultimate comfort food. Especially in the rain.

Words: Marjan Ippel
Images: Marjan Ippel