My Scholarship entry - Understanding a Culture through Food
WORLDWIDE | Monday, 23 April 2012 | Views [113] | Scholarship Entry
At the end of the year in Holland there was me, another foreign student trying to realize how to supply her basic needs, especially of a varied diet. That’s how I began my way in the dutch life and food experience while it was getting outcomes of Dutch culture.
My first meal was actually in a Turkish restaurant, quite common around Holland because of the previous migration of Turkish workers to this country. Eager for more I found local people who introduced me to a small version of rijsttafel from which I can remember a brochette of meat with a delicious Indian sauce. These dishes gave me clues I would found in daily life: Mixtures of tastes in Holland diet were the reflection of years of conquers, war, immigration and the fact that the country had been a center of trade in Europe.
There was also truly dutch gastronomy. It was delicious to go to the market at noon and try kibbeling, fried potatoes with mayonnaise, or give a try on raw herring from the nearest coast. I gained some weight by eating cheese and jam with bread for lunch while I waited until the end of the day as a Dutch, to go home with friends or family and share the big dish of the day.
But certainly what I liked the most in those cold days of autumn, were the sweet stroopenwafles (like a cookie-waffle filled with syrup) or an apple-pie combined with a hot chocomel in the tables in middle of a park while I listened to the Dutch conversations around. It certainly turned into a ritual for the spare time among friends that I will never forget.
My experience with food in daily life made me realize how food in Holland is directly related to their history. A history marked by war when you had to limit the food and make the most of the time with your family and friends, but also when you have to get the best from what you have. I was fortunate to live for a while in Holland and get to know a bit of a culture which makes me realize the value of family, friends and life.
Tags: Travel Writing Scholarship 2012
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