Dutch noodles Negro kisses and the sequel

dutch food The people in the Netherlands have always been well known of exotic herbs and spices because of their successful world trade with the Far East and New West. However, our common sense made us hold on to our calvinistic cooking and eating habits. We use mainly white and black pepper, clove, anis and sambal as a hotspice. By the way, did you ever see someone eating rusks with sugared aniseeds with a knife and fork? We have a very true expression in Holland:     wat een boer niet kent, vreet ie nie which translates in:     what we don't know, we won't eat. Therefore, in most of the restaurants, even the expensive ones, you can get french fries with mayo. So the kids, who are always dragged along everywhere, can eat too. However we import a lot of spices and herbs, virtually the only seasoning you'll find in a Dutch kitchen is salt, pepper and (by Indonesian influence) sambal. Traditional Dutch food is very filling and that's what food should do in the Dutch mind of history-long traders: filling-up and cheep. hutspot.. well cooked potatoes and carrots, pureed hete bliksem.. mashed potatoes, apples and bacon erwtensoep.. pea soup with pig leg Typical Dutch food for trying out nieuwe haring.. raw herring with raw unions, great ! (while all the Dutch consume the herring holding him by the tale above your mouth and bite off pieces, the amsterdammer however cut him in pieces and eat those one by one with a cocktail stick). gerookte paling.. smoked eel, delicious kroket.. deepfried roll of meatless meatloaf fricandel.. deepfried roll of minced pigsnout and other goodies pannekoek.. thicker than French, thinner than USA pancakes flensjes, poffertjes.. tiny thick pancakes with powdered sugar warme kookworst.. a warm speciality of the Hema-store mayonaise.. and some plain fries, most loved meal by the people of the Netherlands Remember: above the Dutch rivers it is 'patat' and under 'friet' and... you always have to pay extra for mayo or ketchup. Incorrect delicacies negerzoen.. Negro kiss, chocolate ball with a white filling; since early 2006 political incorrect and therefore renamed jodenkoek.. Jew cookie, type of cookie Real lovers go all the way zult.. made from pigtales and pigsnouts balkenbrij.. a mixture of flour and fat bloedworst.. made from pigs blood varkenspootjes.. well boiled pig foot

pig snouts and in dried form pig foot Jew cookies

Smoking Entering our country by air, you will already experience a bit of real Holland: our way of handling the smoking problem at Schiphol. Smoking was prohibited by law in public buildings not that long ago, but is ignored massively. Smoke-free restaurants and cafes are virtually non-existing and smoke-free working conditions are just starting to be discussed. Go further to my  tobacco leaf.

Tolerance Our (especially by ourselves) so praised and cheered tolerance is nothing more than a combination of "it doesn't interest me a single bit" and "apathie". Besides on smoking we are very tolerant (which is actually a combination of "we don't give a damn" and "apathy") on obeying traffic rules and on drugs. The ultimate of our tolerance is our attitude towards euthanasia, which is often used as a probate pain-relief instead of bothering with other medications like morphine. Some oldies who start thinking of themselves being a burdon to family and society, are slowly getting an uneasy feeling. Street people are still present, thanks to a side effect of our tolerance: we don't want to force the need for help on people who live on the streets like mental patients, junks and alcoholics. And we don't want to export our illegal immigrants what makes some of them join the Amsterdam homeless world.

Drugs We are putting down other countries on issues as drug policy, prostitution, gay liberation and childporn. Our country however has the same problems, but we are a master in denying them. We distinguish between softdrugs and harddrugs. Buying and using softdrugs in small quantities is tolerated in socalled coffeshops and even the use if it sometimes in public. But don't count on it. It is still against the law, according to our Ministry of Justice. So, don't ask a policeman a light for your joint (some people still think it is OK to do so). We are very alert on genetic manipulated and with pesticieds sprayed products, however this is not the case with our national product called Nederwiet (Dutch grown marihuana). It is still illegal to grow here and the cultivating is mainly done under artificial lighting (with the inevitable spint problems), often on attics or small rooms, the socalled home grown. There is no control over the use of pesticides (furalaxyl, propamocarb, abamectine and parathion) or any other chemical additives. With the exception of the Trimbos institute, you hear very little about those possible (read: probably) very unhealthy additives you inhale as deeply as possible and partly exhale. But you do hear that it is "such a strong stuff" and that softdrugs (paddo's and xtc included) are not dangerous at all. Tourists get sometimes violent reactions on these drugs and jump therefore out of windows, in the canals or suddenly into heavy traffic (with sometimes deadly results), but this is eagerly taken out of publicity. Stories that the Dutch grown weed is a couple of times stronger than other weed is sadly not true, according to our minbuza. A prisoner who said he is suffering from claustofobia, is given marihuana to cope with it. We are the biggest exporter of xtc pills in the world. The use of harddrugs is tolerated in certain areas of some towns, while dealing in it in small amounts is being ignored. In touristic areas like the Red Light District or the National Monument on the Dam you hear the hissing "cocasine, ecstassie". This is mostly not to sell, but to approach the future victim of a ripdeal, pickpocketing or robbery. Drugs nuisance is, as said by the government, minimal. But not for those who live in and around them: there is an action group representing 200,000 inhabitants of 120 Dutch districts.

coffeeshop or koffieshop

And... We are a small country struggling to count, and are trying our best to come in the news. While prisoners have their own privat cell with tv and vcr, the elderly Dutch have had to settle until now with 6 in a room, sometimes even with man and women mixed. Following the newsgroup soc.culture.netherlands for awhile gives a good impression of how we react on questions and remarks. Mediocracy is the best way to discribe us people or as we say in Holland:   "doe maar gewoon, dan doe je al gek genoeg" (just be average, then you are already doing too much)

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