Farmer Ayoub from Amsterdam leads the way Expedition North Holland visit sustainable and innovative farmers. Where does our food come from? Noord-Holland is a global leader in agricultural innovation. In the fourth and final episode, Ayoub tastes Texel culinary delights such as seaweed. “Totally slim.”
We all find it increasingly important that our food is healthy and produced sustainably. Astrid Francis is a potato grower in the Beemster and Ayoub likes to meet the famous and infamous entrepreneur. Francis gained national fame when she 6,000 kilos of potatoes on the sidewalk of the head office of supermarket Deen collapsed.
Ayoub wants to know why she did that? “If the consumer is told that the Dutch potatoes are not available, but a whole load is coming from abroad, then I want to make it clear that they are really still there. We have to sell them from the Netherlands first, of course. the supermarket sold my entire harvest and other stores have started to focus more on Dutch products,” says Francis.
Beautiful products
Astrid also sells potatoes in her yard. “With regional products I can tell consumers where their food comes from. That we learn that again, because there is a lot of offer in the supermarket, but beautiful products are produced in the Netherlands and we should appreciate that more.”
Monique Ravenstein in Zwaagdijk does everything she can in her supermarket so that we as customers make more conscious choices. For example, the owner shows how much sugar is in different types of chocolate milk. “That’s scary, isn’t it? We often have no idea what is in our products as customers, and we show a product group every week. How much sugar, fat, salt is in it? Then the consumer can choose whether they want it or not. or not to buy. Ultimately, the consumer determines what we do or do not sell. In this way you can indicate some direction.”
Seaweed
Ravenstein also sells many regional products from Purmerend, the Beemster and Zwaagdijk, among others. “I want my consumer to understand where our food comes from. That they understand what kind of love is put into it by the producer.”
Ayoub visits a hotel restaurant on Texel. The chef uses local Texel products such as oysters and seaweed as much as possible. Ayoub can go and collect it himself. While picking seaweed. “We just picked this. Is this fresh?” Valerie Jongeneel, owner of Op Oost patiently responds: “Yes, you can’t get it any fresher than that. In the cooking studio we make the most beautiful dishes from this. You can’t get it fairer, because why should we buy it if it becomes that way here in nature? offered.”
potato chips
Of course, farmer Ayoub can also taste the seaweed after chef Joram has worked on it with great love and there is a beautiful creation on the plate. The young farmer looks at it soberly: “Potato chips on a block of wood, very culinary, isn’t it?” Once Ayoub tastes it, he is impressed. “That mayonnaise is nice man!”