Of course they also had bad fries at cafeteria De Ketting in Emmeloord. “If a lot of rain has fallen,” says manager Marnix Brands (32) from behind the chip shop. Do not notice yourself, because first they get fries bags from the storage from the storage. Only then does the quality run back. “Smaller potatoes,” nods colleague Erik Borg. “Glassy, black pieces.” Brands: “And the price goes up.”
But this year the potato harvest is unprecedentedly good – and the fries perfect. Even so well, due to a favorable climate, overproduction and residual parties from last year, that the kilo price has plummeted and let growers record in the media not to know what to do with their beepers. Cattle feed? Scattering over land?
I was curious how this news would fall in Emmeloord, precisely because this …
“Potato capital of the world is.” Brands sounds resolute. “We even have international conferences here.”
Potato fields – You can see them everywhere when you drive into the Noordoostpolder. Thousands of hectares. The place name sign of Emmeloord mentions ‘World Potato City’, potato giant Agricico has his headquarters and delegations from all over the world visiting ‘Potato Valley’ to learn about potato cultivation and processing.
“And have you ever seen” – Brands now steps behind the display case – “What does the Noordoostpolder look like from above?” He opens Google Maps on his phone, zooms out and, laughing: “This is the form of a … and look that color!”
Not that the pee feeling now has controlled the entire city. Once, I read, there were plans for a potato museum in Emmeloord, but it never got that far. There is a statue, ‘Het Baken’, four meters high, that looks suspiciously like a potato. But that is what afterwards between a golf course and a former mountain of waste – partly filled, shines, with rejected potatoes. And with seven cafeterias on 27,000 inhabitants, a lot of fries are eaten in Emmeloord, but where not in the Netherlands?
Brands does not notice anything of the overproduction this year. “You would think: if there is a surplus, then the price goes down for us. But that’s not how it works, isn’t it. Suppliers are huge companies, they have the power.”
But every year in September it goes wild. Then here is the Pieperfestival. The shopping center is full of trucks with volunteers and you can eat freens for free everywhere. “Infinite, all day,” says Brands. “Until they come out of your ears!” Half an hour in line for a cone is not unusual. Brands, grew up in Emmeloord, has often been in it. “But you can also order ten. Do people too. With Mayo. There is only Mayo.” Nobody nags about that, because … “free, huh”.
You would think: Why because of the potato surplus not such a Pieperfestival all week, instead of scattering the country? Throughout the Netherlands!
And then like good fries. Crispy jacket, floral inside. Size 9 times 9 millimeters is the standard, but Brands would rather have a little thicker: “14 times 14.” And don’t get them out of the oil too quickly, Borg. And just over salt when you eat them. Otherwise they will be limp.
Freek Schravesande reports somewhere from the Netherlands every Thursday.