“Dutch delight” week in Thailand?
In the Algemeen Dagblad I read a story about the annual “Dutch Delight week”, which has arrived in the more than 400 Australian branches of supermarket chain Aldi. Due to the relatively competitive prices and scarcity of Dutch delicacies, Aldi 'down under' can count on many customers with a Dutch background or a tasty appetite this week.
I thought it might be a good idea for Thailand: a supermarket or a handy merchant who starts a similar campaign with Dutch products. First take a look at the brochure of Aldi Australia. It turns out to be mainly sweets such as chocolate sprinkles, licorice, peppermint and cookies. I don't have a sweet tooth myself, but I wouldn't turn down a tompoes or gingerbread from time to time. Okay, the photo also shows pots of vegetables from Hak, which I would like to see in a supermarket here.
Thailand
What should be offered in a “Dutch Delight week” in Thailand besides those cookies and sweets? I couldn't think of anything, because we are actually a bit spoiled here, because - I'm talking about my hometown Pattaya - there are a lot of typical Dutch or otherwise at least European foodstuffs and foodstuffs for sale.
Supermarket
Coffee from Douwe Egberts and cocoa and chocolate from Van Houten was the first thing that caught my eye on the shelves. Of course, Heineken beer (brewed in Thailand) stands out among the many beer brands. Dutch cheese, but also French cheese is widely available. I also very regularly do not buy Dutch, but German, French or Italian meat products. Italian ciabatta, French baguette or just Dutch rolls, you name it. Dutch cigars and shag tobacco are also for sale in Pattaya.
Restaurants
There are numerous Dutch restaurants in Pattaya, where I can eat a delicious stew every now and then. My favorite is stew endive with fried bacon, with original Gelderland smoked sausage or an honest meatball as an alternative. Croquettes, bitterballen, herring, frikadellen, etc. are also regularly on the menu and otherwise they are available via various websites of Dutch entrepreneurs.
Conclusion
In Thailand there are many Dutch and Belgian foods for sale, so the question is whether a “Dutch Delight week” is feasible.
What do you think of that?
I know there is a lot of farang food in Pattaya. But I assure you that is absolutely not the case in Isan.
Sauerkraut mash with sausage never heard of here.
We buy a lot from Pattaya but it is always a hassle to get it here.
For me, a Dutch Delight week in conjunction with a webshop would be very welcome.
Buy for a few months and then wait for the next week
I suspect that in the places where many Dutch people live, there is already a lot for sale (as Gringo also reports).
In locations where there are few Dutch people, it does not seem interesting to me for the (large) grutters.
In a country where labor and transport are still very cheap, it would make more sense to encourage those stores that already sell the desired goods to consider setting up a monthly delivery service for more distant areas.
If you have a store where other nationalities can also get their delicacies from, it shouldn't be that difficult to get a route together with about 15 regular customers. For a relatively small extra amount it should almost become interesting.
indeed, we live near Chanthaburi, but it is almost impossible to get Farang food, not even at Tops. So Pattaya at Tops or "Best Supermarket" also canned sauerkraut.
Pay attention to other typical "Dutch" products, which are NOT made in the Netherlands and differ in composition, for example chocolate from Malysie or Indonesia, more fat. And Edamer Cheese from New Zealand
Living in Rayong is closer to Chantaburi than Pattaya and here we have had a Central Plaza along the 36 highway for a year now and many foreign products for sale at Tops.
Gringo,
What I would like to know is which vegetables are used in that “endive” stew, knowing that there is no endive for sale in Thailand.
You can also buy quite a bit in a Foodland or a Big C Extra.
We are glad that we could buy gingerbread and "speculoos" in Big C Extra, but last time we looked for a break and did not find it.
Search better next time.
LOUISE
My wife uses some kind of lettuce for the endive mash, sorry, no idea which one. Just know that it is only available on the market.
Bok choy is great to replace endive!
At MK you can just order spinach and it tastes delicious.
Louise,
I use, just like in Belgium, Chinese cabbage as a substitute for endive. Endive has a slightly finer taste, but Chinese cabbage, which you can buy just about anywhere in Thailand throughout the year, easily replaces it. Remove the inner white stems and leave only the leaves (as much green as possible). Boil in water with some salt and you can turn it into a delicious vegetable. Finish in a béchamel sauce and mix with boiled potatoes …….
In Thai it is called Pak khaat kaaw
From Paul.
It strikes me that there are almost no Dutch products for sale in Thailand. And that of
a country that has the best food products in the world (officially). France is No. 2 and Tsaad in Africa is at the very bottom. Take cheese for example. You only see Frigo cheese here and there. Moderate factory cheese.
Yes and Edam or Gouda made in Germany or Denmark. Those countries can't make cheese at all
I miss the Dutch products terribly. For example roll mops, you can get at Villa Market from est-
country. Expensive and inedible, I threw it away. B. 335. Spreads, it's all rubbish here anyway.
Vegetables not available. Meat, only from Australia and New Zealand. Bad quality. Have never been here
eaten a good fillet steak, even if you pay B. 250 an ounce. Why not from the Netherlands, is
just as far away as N.Zeeland. The problem is that all those buyers from Villa Market, Tops, Tesco Lotus and others don't know. I long for a Dutch Delight week here on Phuket. If I can get information where I can buy Dutch products in Thailand, I would love to hear it. I would be very happy with that, because I think the food here is a poor intention.
Reading this makes me wonder…. Can't even eat beef tenderloin in Phuket? I'm afraid you just don't know what to order in Thai. I live here in a farmer's hole (not in the Isaan) and I can buy it as much as I want (on order, otherwise it will be gone). Order from a butcher San nai Wua. If you want pork tenderloin, order San nai Muu or Muu deng. For filet mignon (beef tenderloin) I pay the terribly expensive price of 350THB/kg and barely 120THB/kg for the pork tenderloin (even for sale in Makro). The Thais make soup out of it ha ha ha…. because they can cut that into fine strips and it's tender.
Not being able to buy vegetables…. I can find just about anything I like here on the market: Chinese cabbage, carrots, spinach (pak hom or pak bum), green beans…. those long ones, if you cook them and finish them well they taste just like green beans…. you have to be able to cook to make it tasty.
You don't have to be a kitchen wizard to make rollmops.... only have enough time to let things mature long enough and the appropriate fish …. no problem at all ….. but yes, it doesn't all fly on your plate by itself, you also have to do something yourself.
Dear paul vermy, in the comments there are already nice things to make yourself or to order, order apple pie, endive, dry sausage from Christiaan, croquette and bitterbal, etc. at http://www.dirkdutchsnacks.com in Chaing Mai, herring at Kaew http://www.dutchfishbypim.nl, Hua Hin, make sauerkraut, dissolve salt in boiling water, let it cool, then add the finely chopped Thai white cabbage (kalam) and let it ripen, a few tasty things.
Enjoy your meal.
Nico B
With some searching and taste testing, there is also enough for sale in the major cities in Isan to manufacture various stews.
Or to get something on the plate that comes very close to the Dutch pot or the Indian pot
Canned sauerkraut, potatoes, leeks, split peas, smoked sausage, Dutch cheese, sambal, beetroot, red cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, chips, it's all for sale.
For cheese you have to go to the Makro, and buy in bulk, but well wrapped, it can be stored in the fridge.
Makro, Tops, Big C, Tesco, there is something for sale everywhere.
Searching blown, takes some time, but oh well, it keeps you out of the pub.
Dear Hans,
Cheese can be stored very well in the freezer.
Yours sincerely.
Dear jhvd and Hans cheese from the freezer is definitely not tasty anymore.
Fr Greetings.
Indeed, if you put cheese in resistance, the structure changes.
And the taste.
In my visit no longer to eat.
So I put it in the fridge.
Indeed, the range of Dutch cheese in Thailand is somewhat limited, Frico is about it, and to my surprise the Gouda cheese came from Germany.
Then it is no longer necessary for me.
The whole Gouda cheese at the Makro, 4,5 kilos, +/- 1800 baht, does indeed come from the Netherlands, the cheese brand indicates that.
The Edam cheese, 1,9 kilos, +/- 800 baht also comes from the Netherlands.
All other cheese from the supermarket with the name Gouda or Edam comes from everywhere.
Recently saw Gouda cheese from New Zealand, turned out to be process cheese, the composition included melting salt.
Bah.
In Tops I occasionally see ERU gold tub, for cheese spread lovers, buying…
Have you ever had contact with Frico.
He will!
But the local partner, the importer, is not optimal.
cheese from the freezer becomes dry and is no longer tasty
Yes dear Gringo the idea is very ideal but the problem is that we don't all live in pattaya and to drive from pranburi to pattaya is very cumbersome but something closer is very welcome
I am a retired Fleming (former butcher) living in Samut Sakhon and make dry sausages every two weeks for myself and a friend who lives in Hua Hin. After 3 days of drying I vacuum pack them and send them to him. He only has to open the package and hang it to dry for a few days. He says they are fantastically tasty, with a beer in the evening at the movie. I'm happy to make a few kilos more and send it on request to people who ask for it. Just email me at [email protected] and it comes together.
i see merchants the ages out recipe is equal parts flour sugar eggs and butter . in every supermarket they have cinnamon and apples here, just do your best. if you only like Dutch food, a pity, wrong choice of country!
I'm not really looking forward to a Dutch delight week.
I chose to live in Thailand.
Apart from that, there are of course foods that I would like to eat again.
Drop van Klene, good Dutch cheese.
Alison wholemeal bread. (It has relatively little air in it and I don't like a sandwich that can blow away, as long as you haven't buttered it yet.)
Vanilla custard, with peach from a glass jar, semolina pudding.
Anyway: choosing also means losing.
And I chose Thailand and not the semolina pudding.
It's worth it to me.
What is not for sale; make your own as far as this goes, already smoked sausage, sauerkraut and smoked Norwegian mackerel, Zeeland bacon, pea soup, snacks such as croquettes ... and much more.
Will also be sent to Isaarn and the High North on request.
Sometimes a search in the supper, but there is certainly a lot for sale here.
Take a good look at where van Houten chocolate comes from. the answer is Switzerland
I have not come across real Dutch cheese in the various large Thai supermarkets, there is so-called Edam cheese manufactured by a company from Australia, inedible, a bit dirty. I only want a Dutch touch at breakfast and that is widely available, except for "real" cheese. For the rest I eat the same as my wife and I think that's perfect
There is Gouda cheese for sale (Big C, Tops) as a block of 200 grams.
Probably from Australia or New Zealand.
The packaging is orange/brownish.
I can't see that very well in the light of the modern energy-saving lamps.
That cheese tastes pretty good.
If you use it for toasted sandwiches, you should sprinkle a little bit of salt on them, otherwise they won't taste good.
At the Makro they also had small spherical cheeses.
They also tasted good.
However, they were too big for me alone.
It started to mold over time.
I'll never get to the Macro again though, so I can't say if they still have them.
Do you live in the Chiangmai area.
Visit one of the Rimping super markets .
Also many Dutch products, expensive but available.
Jan Beute.
There is not much need for a "Dutch Delight week", if it were to be organized, once every 3 months, but it is easy to gather a lot in 1 place, but a lot is available in Rayong or Pattaya, but you will have to search a bit at first . My wife also makes a lot herself, what we haven't been able to find yet is Appeltaart mix from Koopmans, anyone have an address?
Nico B
I think a webshop for Dutch food, and only one for the whole of Thailand, is viable, who will start it?
it is already there…https://www.realdutchfood.com/
Maybe I can help you with the address where the real Dutch Cheese can be obtained.
The real Gouda Cheeses with the authenticity stamp, including Gouda Young, Young matured, Matured and the Gouda Old, indistinguishable from Old Amsterdam.
Also cumin mature cheese and farmers grass cheese.
It can be sent by post or by bus, often together with Dutch buddy Haring, which is vacuum packed and kept frozen by a few slices of dry ice.
If you want to know more, send an email to HBH: [email protected] here you can get all the info.
This cheese is already eaten in Chang Mai, Loei, Phetchabun and Khon Kaen.
Is there a special reason why the information about purchasing that Dutch cheese cannot simply be shared via Thailandblog?
That is the advantage and the raison d'être of such a site.
Dear Ruud,
Yes there is a special reason but that is a secret.
The secret is that I stick my neck out to let some people enjoy delicious Dutch cheese in Thailand.
I also write "maybe I can help you", it is also possible that the importer does not want to expand the cheese sales at all.
E-Mail address does not work from Pinocchio in the previous message.
Maybe I can help you with the address where the real Dutch Cheese can be obtained.
The real Gouda Cheeses with the authenticity stamp, including Gouda Young, Young matured, Matured and the Gouda Old, indistinguishable from Old Amsterdam.
Also cumin mature cheese and farmers grass cheese.
It can be sent by post or by bus, often together with Dutch buddy Haring, which is vacuum packed and kept frozen by a few slices of dry ice.
If you want to know more, send an email to HBHper address: [email protected] here you can get all the info.
This cheese is already eaten in Chang Mai, Loei, Phetchabun and Khon Kaen.
I can't wait for such a “Dutch Delight Week”…. because it's not my taste. One of the few things that I miss from the Netherlands and that I will bring with me on my next visit to the Netherlands: licorice.
Nothing else.
Most foods from the Netherlands that I know, such as "Gelderse smoked sausage", custard, all kinds of stew (I now mix everything together) are not exactly things that are healthy for a life in Thailand. It may be that a diligent Dutch worker benefited from this and provided his body with the necessary energy, but with a sedate life that you will lead in Thailand because of the heat, I have no need for pea soup or hutspot or smoked sausage from the Hema (does it still exist?).
I used to eat a sandwich with chocolate sprinkles almost every day in the Netherlands…. the last is now four years ago. I wouldn't even dream of bringing a pack of chocolate sprinkles to Thailand.
I ate chocolate very often in the Netherlands. Now at most in a Cornetto…
Really, I can hardly think of anything that is “typically” Dutch and healthy…. mashed and mashed vegetables with a greasy gravy? Brrrr I don't want to think about it.
I'm not going to claim that Thai food is super healthy, but you can live a healthy life here for a lower price than in the Netherlands if you stay away from your traditional mama recipes.
Chocolate sprinkles are simply for sale here. In a small jar. Look at the baking stuff. It's called chocolate rice. They use them here as cake decorations, on ice cream and on cookies, that's why.
Sjaak, if you are ever near pattaya, licorice is for sale at Foodland, various types and affordable.
Nico B
There are two sides to such a Dutch Delight week.
1. Are enough Dutch and Belgians interested in traveling to one (or a limited number) of central places to buy these groceries?
2. Can the relevant organiser/retailer also earn from this in addition to the goodwill of the Dutch and Belgian expats?
My answers:
1. There are already a lot of Dutch groceries for sale in the shops in Thailand. In addition, you can make a number of products yourself (if you really miss them), which may also be sold to friends here, as is the case with salty herring (no bureaucratic hassle, Inspection Service of Waren, VAT payment, etc. here in Thailand) and there is an online shop with Dutch products. There are also a number of restaurants that cook typical Dutch food (I mean the stews, pulled meat, etc. and not nasi goreng and macaroni) and we even have a Dutch top chef in Bangkok (Henk Savelberg). A number of Dutch people do not really miss Dutch food either. (I'm an example of that)
2. We Dutch are all grocers ourselves. So when we buy stuff it really has to taste like the product we are used to (see the stories about the cheese and the stews) and – I estimate – the price during the Delight week must also be more attractive than in the regular shop (while the organizer has additional costs) otherwise it is not a 'delight'. So he won't.
I can still imagine a Dutch week (in the week of King's Day, for example in the Central shopping malls) in which all products, services and brands of the Netherlands from Philips, Campina Melkunie, Andre Rieu, KLM, to Heineken (many Thai students in my class thinks that Heineken is German !!) are central and where (eg by Savelberg) Dutch is cooked (including cooking instructions for Thai: how do I make my own croquettes eg?) and where the products or ingredients for cooking at home are for sale . The manufacturers/distributors could then take on the extra costs so that it remains affordable.
Well, you are very negative. No veggies??? broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, red cabbage, celery, Brussels sprouts and spinach in the freezer, snow peas, etc. you can get sandwich fillings at villamarkt and topsmarkt. You can also get delicious bread at the above. Lots of import preserves. I really don't know how you do your shopping
So I also think that more and more imported products are available, although not all of them come from the Netherlands. Many of these products can really serve as a replacement. You can also buy more and more imports at the macro. Ground mozzarela cheese, Gouda cheese, Salami for a reasonable price, tasty gammon at villa market or rimping or Topsmarkt, lots of choice of vegetables, And with a little improvisation and searching you can really eat reasonable European food.
But yes, if you really insist on original Dutch products, well then you better stay away from here.
We have a very good vacuum device for sealing cheese. This was then included in the container. I think it is also available here. If we have a 5 kg. buy a cheese ball at makro, it is immediately cut into 5 or 6 pieces and vacuum packed, this works very well and the cheese will keep for several months in the refrigerator. I also cut salami and vacuum pack it
maybe an idea for people who like to eat cheese.
Good food is something that is highly regarded by the Flemings. We are not called “Burgundians” for nothing. I have eaten Farangfood in many places in Thailand and only, if they really have a Farangkok, can you say that it is okay. For the rest it is often something that draws on it, but hardly ever what it really should be. That is just normal. The same in Europe with Thai restaurants: no real Thai chef in the kitchen and you will also have something similar.
For me, such a "Dutch products" week is not necessary at all. Even as a Belgian, I don't need Belgian products week. And claim that the Dutch products are the best in the world ....? We can argue about that for a long time.
I have been living in Thailand for quite some time and yes, in the beginning it was not easy to find everything I actually wanted. There is only one way: shop and find yourself. Especially try to know the Thai name of the desired product. That will take you a long way. Cooking yourself and not leaving it to "tie rakje" because farang food usually doesn't bake anything, just like a farang usually doesn't bake anything when he prepares Thai food. Some may argue that they can, until they serve their cooking to Thai people…. there will always be something missing in the finesse.
Vegetables are really no problem in Thailand. Local Thai vegetables galore. Sometimes try it out and then you are often surprised that it corresponds to the vegetables that we know in Belgium.
The biggest problem, but not insurmountable, is beef. The main problem is that the meat is just too fresh, too young. A cow is slaughtered and you can buy the meat the same or the next day. That meat is not "ripe" and will therefore be hard. You can solve that yourself.
Good minced meat: buy pork and beef and season it yourself, chop it finely or grind it …. not difficult though.
Then all those things that I read here that can't be found... many of these you can just make yourself. We're not going to complain that you can't buy a delicious apple pie here. What do you need for this so special to bake one yourself? No good bread? Buy a bread machine, flour, both white and whole wheat, easy to come by and yeast is also no problem. You make your own mix and have a decent tasty bread every day and no "water and wind" like the 7/11 bread.
Of course, these things are not always reserved for the short stayer. This usually does not have a decent kitchen, just like many long-stayers only have a Thai kitchen and that is nothing.
No, I don't need Dutch Delight.....