5 delicious regional products from the Wadden region
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Tasty and local
The wadden region is full of honest local products. Nowhere else will you find so many surprising flavours and products as in the wadden region. We list a number of regional products for you, often organically grown. Because whether you are on the Wadden Islands or along the Wadden coast, you can enjoy local products everywhere.
Organic potatoes
In the Netherlands alone, there are more than 250 different potato varieties. Of these, about 90 varieties are for eating. These potatoes are called consumption potatoes. This includes organic potatoes. Organic potatoes are grown without crop protection, artificial fertilisers and with more manual labour. Instead of artificial fertilisers, organic compost is used to feed the potato plant. At arable farm Timpelsteed in Engwierum, Friesland, they have been growing only organic since 2018. The varieties they grow include Annabelle (firm), Monalisa (slightly floury) and Carolus (floury).
Besides potatoes, other products are also grown organically, such as various vegetables. For bread, milk, cottage cheese, lentils and many other products, you can also visit Timpelsteed. The range is wide and varied. Depending on what is available in season.
Grains of the grain republic
The Oldambt is one of the rich historical grain areas in the Netherlands. The sea clay left behind after the retreat and reclamation of the Dollard provides perfect conditions for various grains to grow. The Grain Republic Cooperative is a collaboration between farmers and producers from the area who together want to bring the flavour of old cereals back to the landscape and people. They are experimenting with all kinds of regional grains. Such as oats for your breakfast, barley for your alcoholic drinks and wheat, emmer and spelt for baking and brewing. The heart of the Grain Republic is the Old Remise in Bad Nieuweschans. This old train depot from 1877 has been completely restored and converted into a brewery, distillery, bakery, restaurant and information centre. So you can learn and taste everything about cereal cultivation in the Oldambt. Look, smell and taste everything from the region.
More information (NL)
Fresh garlic
Garlic is a garlic; other well-known garlic varieties are onion, chives and leeks. The Biesheuvel family has been growing fresh North Holland garlic since 1986. Not the dried bulbs in a net, which are at least a year old, but fresh juicy white bulbs with a beautiful green stem. Fresh and spicy in taste and super healthy, it contains many minerals and vitamins. And did you know that fresh garlic does not give you bad breath? You can buy this delicious fresh garlic in small jars. Fresh chopped garlic is also used to make delicious sauces, such as fresh aioli, a creamy garlic 'naise' and a spicy garlic ketchup.
Salty vegetables
Saline vegetables grow on the salt marshes. These are areas outside the dikes influenced by low tides. At high tide, they are flooded with seawater. The plants that grow here have to be resistant to groundwater. This makes them so special and hence the salty taste. On Texel at the Groentehelden, salty vegetables are also grown, and organically. The range of vegetables available varies throughout the year, depending on the season. Examples of salty vegetables are:
Sea aster (popularly sold under the name Lamsoortjes)
Glasswort
Beetroot
Ice herb
Sea fennel
Celery
New Zealand spinach
Sea banana
Oyster leaf
Monksbeard
Sea scabbard
Bunker cheeses and seaweed cheeses
On Vlieland's highest dune, an old bunker lies deep underground. Organic Vlielander bunker cheeses have been made here since 2015. The high humidity and constant temperature ensure that the cheeses mature under perfect natural conditions. In addition, the cheeses are aerated 24 hours a day with salty sea air. A unique feature of Vlielander Bunkerkaas is that it works with local seaweed. Seaweed is full of vitamins, minerals, iodine and iron. This product is the food of the future. Vlielander Bunkerkaas incorporates seaweed into their cheeses for a unique taste. A vegan cheese is also available.
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