Netherlands

The Netherlands between Drop, dikes, and design tables

The neighboring country just across the border cooks in a more down-to-earth way than its reputation would suggest, and designs more modernly than almost any other in Europe. At nur Gutes, you will find salty licorice from Groningen, paper-thin crackers from Zeeland, mayonnaise from a manufactory in North Brabant, bean-to-bar chocolate from Rotterdam, and kitchen pieces from Eindhoven.

Dutch specialties are the result of a cuisine that has never boasted, yet remained unique: herring from a cart, cheese from the north, and drop in a hundred forms. This page brings together what the country does well, namely the savory for the plate and the artisanal for the kitchen itself. From cutting boards to leather aprons, you will also find the tools used to do the work here.

A cuisine that thinks from the water

Dutch cuisine begins with herring, and the Hollandse Nieuwe is its harbinger of spring. It is the first catch of the season, mildly cured, and eaten at the stand by grabbing it by the tail and lowering it into your mouth. Add some diced onion and a sour pickle, and that is all you need. In the south, in Zeeland, it is all about mussels and oysters, which grow between the sea inlets.

On land, things become heartier, and the pot is the focus. Stamppot mashes potatoes together with kale, sauerkraut, or endive and places a rookworst on top, while in winter, the erwtensoep (pea soup) is so thick in the pot that the spoon stands up in it. And the bitterbal, that breaded ragout ball served with beer, is the most popular snack in the country and simultaneously the hardest to explain.

On the sweet side, the path leads through the stroopwafel—two thin waffle halves with syrup in between, which you place on top of a coffee cup until it softens. When it comes to cheese, the range extends from young Gouda to an aged Beemster, which forms salt crystals after years and crunches like Parmesan when chewed.

Drop, Genever, and a beer from the monks

No people eat as much licorice as the Dutch, and no one takes the matter so seriously. Drop comes sweet or salty, hard or soft, as a coin, a diamond, or a herring, and the salty variety with salmiak reliably divides nations. Those who like it usually started eating it as children.

When it comes to drinking, genever—the juniper schnapps made from malt wine that later became gin in England—is at the forefront. It is served young or old, poured right to the brim, and taken as a first sip while standing, without lifting the glass. And if you think the Netherlands only has industrial breweries, you don’t know the Trappists from Koningshoeven yet.

Two Dutch specialties from this tradition are on our shelves. The salty licorice in herring shapes from Remmelt S. Smid is salt licorice made according to an old recipe, presented in small tin boxes. The Black Pepper Crackers from Verduijn's come from Eede in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, that corner of the Netherlands that already leans toward Belgium.

What we carry from the Netherlands

From Rotterdam comes Heinde & Verre, a bean-to-bar manufactory that has been combining fine cocoa with Dutch ingredients like beet sugar and milk since 2015. They work with stone mills and their own roasting profiles, and the name already says what it's about: from near and far.

The mayonnaise from Jean Bâton comes from Udenhout in North Brabant, and the fact that one variety is called Belgian Recipe reveals the house's signature. It is spicier, more mustard-forward, and clearer in its acidity than the familiar German variety. The second variety uses real black summer truffles and belongs on fries, pasta, and pan-seared meat.

And then there is Dutchdeluxes from Eindhoven, the city of the Design Academy, whose signature you can see in the pieces. What is created there is kitchen equipment with attitude: walnut bread boards with cult status, canvas aprons with suspenders, and the leather apron, which becomes more beautiful with the years instead of shabbier.

Living, cooking, and a word on Dutch Design

Unlike in many other countries, the focus of this page is on the countertop rather than the plate, because Dutch specialties are also tools. This is no coincidence, as the Netherlands, through Dutch Design, has produced a design language that elevates sobriety to a virtue. It shows the material instead of hiding it and trusts the functional object more than the decorative one.

This is exactly what a leather apron thrives on—one that has grown darker after two years at the grill and carries its own history. And this is exactly what a bread board thrives on—one where you can see where the cutting was done. Anyone setting up a kitchen where real work happens will find the right pieces here.

The people behind the Dutch houses

Jean Bâton was actually named Jan Stok and began sailing the seas in 1950. As Chef Garde Manger on the ships of the Holland America Line, he was responsible for cold sauces, and his French colleagues promptly rechristened his Dutch name. In 2013, his son Bart picked up the idea again, and since then, he has been stirring up mayonnaise in Udenhout just as his father would have made it.

Since 2001, Remmelt S. Smid has been working from Groningen with family businesses, some of which have held onto centuries-old recipes. Salt licorice, peppermint, and raspberry candies return in nostalgic tin cans. At Heinde & Verre, Jan-Willem Jekel and Ewald Rietberg have been standing at the stone mills since 2015, in a hall at Coolhaven in the heart of Rotterdam.

When the Netherlands is a particularly good fit

Dutch specialties have their times, and the crackers from Zeeland belong on every cheese board that aims to be without sweetness. They are a great addition from early summer until New Year's Eve. The licorice is available year-round, but belongs especially in a coat pocket when it gets uncomfortable outside and the road is long.

As a gift, the bread board is perfect for anyone who has just set up a kitchen, and the apron is for anyone who stands at the grill and cares about their clothing while doing so. Looking across the border is worthwhile in both directions—toward Belgium, where Verduijn's is almost at home, and all other countries under Regions. You know your neighbors best when you eat with them.