The Taste of the Netherlands? Janny van der Heijden Goes in Search of It!
Janny van der Heijden, presenter of Heel Holland Bakt (who is taking part?), culinary journalist and winner of the FavorFlav Food Top 100, knows everything about food and drink. In her new adventure, De smaak van Nederland, Janny travels across the country to find out what we Dutch most like to put on our plates and wonders what Dutch food culture really is.
At 6:00 p.m., the Netherlands enjoys a plate of stamppot (with a little well of gravy) or a traditional meat-potatoes-vegetables meal. At least, that is the traditional image of Dutch food culture. Is Dutch cuisine still just as popular, or are we choosing quick pasta more often? Do we cook ourselves, opt for ready-made packets and sachets, or are fresh meal kits taking over in the kitchen?
Out and about with Janny
From kale with smoked sausage to spicy chicken satay and from double custard to Italian tiramisu: no matter which country the food comes from, (most) Dutch people eat it. But precisely because we love eating the tastiest dishes from other countries, the true taste of the Netherlands is difficult to describe. To find out, 24Kitchen conducted a major study among 2,500 Dutch people, from all provinces, ages and backgrounds. And Janny? She is taking the results on the road.
Old and new
In the various episodes, each of which has a theme, such as ‘Dutch Cuisine’ or ‘Chinese Cuisine’, Janny tastes various traditional dishes from home and abroad. Among other things, she joins star chef Joris Bijdendijk from RIJKS restaurant to search for our centuries-old food culture, and makes a new vegan cafeteria snack with rapper Donnie.
On every Monday
In short, informative and delicious! Curious about the taste of the Netherlands? A new episode can be seen on 24Kitchen every Monday at 10:00 p.m.
Pasta once a week
Curious about the research results? These are the key findings:
- Potatoes have to concede defeat to pasta. In the top 10 dishes made most often and preferred most, numbers 1, 2 and 3 are pasta dishes. Dutch cuisine only follows at number 4.
- We overwhelmingly choose Italian food. 70% of Dutch people serve a dish from Italian cuisine at least once a week.
- In Friesland, people still hold on to truly traditional Dutch eating habits. A traditional Dutch dish appears on the table most often there, and least often in Flevoland. People from Limburg are particularly known for their love of snack bars. Of all Dutch people, they are found there most often.
- Half of the Netherlands has a favourite regional dish. And 30% of Dutch people eat their favourite regional dish/product every week and/or make it themselves. Examples include the Brabant sausage roll, the Groningen egg ball, Twente baked liver sausage, Zeeland bolus and Limburg sour meat.
- Half of Dutch people still eat punctually at 6:00 p.m. 70% of Dutch people eat at the table.
- Young people eat dishes from foreign cuisines more often, use ready-made packets/sachets or fresh meal kits more often, and eat vegetarian food more often. Young people also order food and eat out more often. When asked what typical Dutch food is, they mention cheese, stroopwafels, liquorice and croquettes.
- Older people eat Dutch cuisine more often and cook more often with fresh and organic ingredients. They consider stamppot dishes and herring typical Dutch food.
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