Michel Rekers from Koedijk is the grand winner of the Bauhaus World Snert Cooking Championships in Groningen for the fifth time. “I took a bite and thought: geez, this tastes very good. Then everything still had to be added,” he proudly tells NH Radio today. But how many international participants actually participate in a pea soup making world championship?
Michel can’t believe his luck now that he has been voted the best chowder maker in the world for the fifth time by the jury. The chowder and stew king of Koedijk has also been world champion stew cooking five times.
“It seemed like it had to be,” he says about his win against NH Radio. “I was uber relaxed and enjoyed cooking. People were already tasting and saying: this is the place to be!”
‘Best Ever’
It is the last time that he will participate in the World Cup, which is being held for the 28th time. “This was the best I’ve ever made. I closed it very well and am now joining the jury myself. I will also continue to work as an ambassador for traditional Dutch dishes.”
According to Michel, he always knows how to win over the jury with his broth. “That’s such a flavor bomb,” he says. “It’s just so well put together and makes the whole soup.”
Norwegian snack
Snert may be a typical old Dutch dish, but it still attracts more nationalities than you might expect, says Henk of the organization. “We had participants from Germany, France, Australia and Afghanistan. Or a Norwegian chowder with salmon. Three years ago we had two people from Senegal.”
Unfortunately, there is no real world championship this edition. “This year it was very disappointing, we only had a Surinamese among the participants.”