9.24.15 Amsterdam Foodie Tour

I remember commenting to Joseph at the start of our journeys that this trip would be about using other senses primarily taste. A food tour is a great way to introduce yourself to a city. Amsterdam like London has a very international cuisine. There are apparently 180 of the 200 recognized nationalities in the world having a presence in Amsterdam.

We started in a brown cafe. They are called brown cafes because they all took on a brown dullness caused by years of cigarette smoke. Today you can't smoke cigarettes in restaurants but years ago you could. These small bars and restaurants are exactly that - small. Tiny in fact.

Most of our tour was in the Jordaan section of Amsterdam. Initially working class neighborhood transformed into a district of art galleries, upscale shopping and restaurants. Our guide was educated formally in history and again very knowledgable.

Apple pie is a Dutch tradition as much so as an American one. That's where we started. A piece of apple pie and coffee in a restaurant started in 1642 and passed on from generation to generation - the Cafe Papeneiland. We met 3 generations - the youngest making the pies. The father taking care of the bar. The grandfather hanging out and doing some of the serving. Once again they never had my Grandma Koepkes apple pie.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then to Swieti Sranang to taste broodje pom (chicken and a root with chile sandwich) and baka bana (deep fried plantain with a satay sauce). This is influenced from the Dutch colony of Surinam off the eastern coast of South America and Indonesia. Loved the food. Wild mouthful of flavor.

Butcher Louman was next. A sausage place. Thought of you Neil. Good but nothing like yours.

Meer Dan Vis for some salt cured herring and breaded deep fried cod.

Across the street was a candy store. More precisely licorice. Who knew the Dutch loved and ate so much licorice. I'm not even a take it or leave it licorice guy. I hate it but if Joseph can eat the herring I'm going to eat the licorice. Still don't like it - at all.

We took a canal cruise on the salon boat called "Tourist". Its a beautiful 106 year old vessel designed specifically for the canals and touring. Winston Churchill and the Queen of Netherlands at the time Willhelmiana toured Amsterdam on this boat. It was beautiful and on it we had cheese, champagne, beer, and meatballs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The final stop was Cafe De Prins where we had pofferjes. It's a plate of mini pancakes served with maple syrup and powdered sugar.

 

What else did we learn. People built there house facades leaning out towards the canal to give it more of an impression of size as you looked up from the street and to keep water off the front since the bricks were prone to corrosion. The tulip came from northern India. It grew extremely well here and at one point the bulb was a food source tasting like cabbage. Bicycles rule as transportation - greater than 50 percent travel by bike. I asked the question why don't they use helmets. First off nobody goes fast - cars or bikes. Most accidents are bumps and bruises. One fatality last year none the year before. In Denmark another bike country they pushed for helmet use and it dropped bicycle use by 20 percent.

They are a secular country. Seventy percent have no religious affiliations. These Dutch are always leading the way except for their color choice. Orange. Sorry that doesn't do it for me.

 

 

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