Originally the Dutch cuisine is simple. For centuries the population ate what was generated by the land: mainly grain (bread), vegetables, dairy products and meat. When the colonial period began the Dutch started enriching their cuisine with ingredients from overseas, such as spices and tea. Many inhabitants of the colonies later came to live in the Netherlands, particularly Indonesians and Surinamese. In the 1960s they were joined by foreign laborers from countries like Turkey and Morocco. The culinary influences from all these countries can be spotted everywhere. In the supermarket you can find everything required to make a complete Indonesian rice table or a Moroccan couscous salad. There is a wide range of restaurants and special Eastern supermarkets, also known as Indonesian shops.

And what about the potato? It originates from the Latin American Andes mountain range. Halfway the 16th century the first Europeans got acquainted with the tuber, which the Incas called ‘papa’. The potato soon turned into a hit in Italy. This was because Pope Pius IV was cured from his rheumatism after having eaten of it. By the 17th and 18th centuries the potato had reached all of Europe. Also thanks to the beneficial climate and its nutritiousness it became one of the chief foodstuffs for the common people. Which it has remained until this day and age. (SK)

Next week: bread. Why do we eat it so much and where does that custom come from?

Source: The Holland Handbook, Wikipedia, Aardappel Oogappel - Winiefred van Killegem