Dutch Cuisine, more than 'stamppot'?

Many Dutch people are not proud of the Dutch kitchen. A pity, according to a group of chefs, culture makers and producers in 2015 before they started the Dutch Cuisine initiative. Albert Kooy is an SVH Master Chef and Executive Chef at Restaurant Wannee. In 2007 he published his book 'The new Dutch kitchen', which ultimately led to Dutch Cuisine. 

“Isn't it strange that as a Dutch chef you are trained in a different culture? For example, I learned to make consumé des legumes earlier than a regular vegetable soup.” (Albert Kooy, Lekker 500, 45th edition) 

Dutch Cuisine wants to put Dutch food culture on the map at home and abroad. They want to do this by modernizing the kitchen and making it more sustainable. Dutch Cuisine, for example, believes that the dish should tell you which season we are in, for this we have to go back to the traditional food culture, Dutch Cuisine's aim is that 80% of the ingredients are seasonal products from the area. Food should also be healthy, because it is important to eat well and varied. The dishes are also good for the earth, with fewer animal products such and more vegetable products, Dutch Cuisine strives to use 80% vegetable products and 20% animal products in its dishes. 

According to Dutch Cuisine, it is important to use the products that nature offers, to use them fully and therefore to waste less. Quality is also one of Dutch Cuisine. This means that you look more at the product than at the price tag. After all, it is the principles of Dutch Cuisine that a product is organically grown and fair trade. It is also important that the kitchen uses fresh products of good quality. A Dutch Cuisine restaurant will never save on this. The value that Dutch Cuisine adds lies in the effect that the four previous values have. Healthy living and eating, wasting less, a fair price for the producer and leaving the earth in a better place. Those are good core values to work towards. That makes Dutch Cuisine restaurants different, they take cooking much further. 

Dutch Cuisine is a great goal that is being pursued by more and more restaurants, not only does it change the way we look at our food culture in the Netherlands, but also how we put it on the map worldwide. Restaurant Wannee is also affiliated with Dutch Cuisine, the aim of this restaurant is to offer a fine-dining experience with Dutch and Frisian characteristics. Our chef Albert Kooy has integrated the principles of Dutch Cuisine in both the restaurant and all food outlets on the school campus. In addition, Kooy teaches gastronomy students so that he can pass on his knowledge and vision to the new generation of hotello.