Tastes
like Dutch
NL
Netherlands
The Netherlands is located in a beautiful climate zone, at the beginning of a delta with various fertile soils. The special and tasty seasonal products
that our Dutch soil produces are extremely rich and diverse, as you will experience at the various Al Maya supermarkets during the Netherlands Food
Week. A small country, with a surface of 0.42% the size of the United States, the Netherlands relies on inventiveness and efficiency in driving high
production in our horticulture sector, across the full value chain. Today, we produce 46% of the global export value of base materials, vegetables,
ornamentals, potatoes and grasses. We are also the world's second largest exporter of agricultural products by value, only behind the United States.
As a result, the Netherlands is often referred to as the 'tiny country that feeds the world'. The collaboration between government, entrepreneurs and
research institutions also boosts the pace of innovation in our country, enabling us to attain the highest efficiency in agricultural technology in the
world.
Our Dutch food culture is hundreds of years old; it is in our DNA. We are innovative. We drain our land to grow food, make it available to everyone
around us and run on food economies. Food has always been important to the Netherlands, not only in terms of production but also when it comes to
preparation and consumption. You only need to look at the old Dutch masters in our museums to get a rich picture. Visit a Hortus Botanicus to see
how the Netherlands sailed the seas in search of knowledge of nutritious plants and spices as early as the 17th century. No apple pie without
cinnamon. Food tells us something about our collective culinary memories and about our urge to search and continue to innovate. Where do the
spices we use come from? What motivates us? What is the preparation of our dishes based on? How adaptive is Dutch Cuisine? And what makes
Dutch Cuisine so unique?
By means of the various ingredients available here today, we invite you to try what 'Tastes like Dutch'!
