‘Eat whatever you want!’ Is there such a thing as a typical West Frisian cuisine?

Ten years ago, Cees Neefjes and Ruud Mars published the cookbook ‘An table’. The chefs at the Dijklander Hospital came up with around 70 to 80 recipes, all with ingredients with a local character. The book was distributed to hospital staff as a Christmas gift. “It was very well received. Many colleagues have made dishes from the book.”

The West Frisian cuisine as a Christmas gift. But: is there such a thing as a West Frisian cuisine? And if so, how is it characterized? Cees Neefjes has been a chef at the Hoorn hospital since 1981 and once studied gastro-engineering in Leuven. “You could certainly speak of a West Frisian cuisine,” says Neefjes.

Coarse food

“Its origins partly have to do with history. The Romans once crossed Europe, but never crossed the Rhine. That was the border. You can see that in the culture, but also in the food. Alsace, for example, is very Burgundian , but in Germany they like big schnitzels.”

Neefjes: “In our region, coarse food was eaten, with large pieces of meat. And also what was available in the area. Think of wild fruits, geese, ducks and hares. Later the VOC introduced herbs, but the food remained mainly local. You could characterize West Frisian cuisine as simplicity. With many types of cabbage and, for example, gray peas. It has remained that way for a long time. Only since people have started going on holiday to other countries have other influences emerged. Such as Italian, Spanish and Turkish.”

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Culinary writer Thijs Dekker recently published – together with his brother and cartoonist André – the West Frisian cookbook, with the subtitle ‘the regional cuisine that would not exist’. The Dekker brothers grew up in South Holland, but with parents from Obdam and Heerhugowaard, their holidays were always spent in West Friesland. “Digging potatoes, peeling bulbs, we spent many hours in the field.”

‘Simple, but tasty’

The book is the result of a three-year search into the question of whether West Frisian cuisine exists. “We have had many conversations with gardeners and growers from the region, but also with many cousins. What did they used to eat and how was it made? We wrote that down and of course also added recipes. Sales of the book are going well. Books are sold not only in West Friesland, but also in Rotterdam.”

The regional cuisine that supposedly does not exist, therefore does exist. “We certainly think so. Broeder, kettlekost, skotwal are examples of typical West Frisian dishes. But also think of the West Frisian krentenmik and West Frisian jewkoek, from which the stuffed cake originates. You could perhaps describe it as simple, but tasty. A bit in keeping with the West Frisian national character.”

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But it is a kitchen that has all but disappeared. And that’s a shame, says Dekker. And unnecessary. “West Friesland could be a little more proud of its own cuisine. The region has such beautiful and tasty products, but we have lost it a bit. I was recently in a restaurant in Wervershoof and they had a slogan: ‘What is good, doesn’t have to come from far away.’ But the cheese board did not contain any cheese from West Friesland. Why not?”

Recently, in the bakery museum of Medemblik, Dekker’s feeling of pride surfaced again. “They had cavities there. Those are large balls of dough, with aniseed. They are delicious!”

He would love to cook West Frisian. “I have promised to come and cook in a nursing home in Bovenkarspel. That makes them very happy. I would like to come and cook West Frisian dishes in a restaurant for a week.”