During the very last Monnickendammer Visdag, the public could admire the work of craftsmen and of course enjoy a smoked or fried fish or a traditional Dutch bowl of mussels. And not just any mussels, these were served from the world’s largest mussel pan. NH reporter Bastiaan Meijer took a look.
With a diameter of two meters and a height of 1.68 meters, the impressive mussel pan is even in the Guinness Book of World Records. The men who venture to prepare the mussels must therefore climb four steps before they can wave their hands.
“It also looks a bit like a hot tub,” says our reporter, who traveled to Monnickendam especially for the pan. The colossus is owned by Nico Molenaar of Sligro. Molenaar explains that the pan travels to all the wholesaler’s locations to promote the mussel season.
Public comment
“It may be inconvenient, but it attracts a lot of people,” Molenaar explains about the dimensions of the ‘hot tub for mussels’. “They all love it and it is unique in the world.” Yet there is also commentary from the incoming audience. Anyone who indeed dares to look over the edge of the pan will see that it is not being cooked at all. Various small pans do the real cooking.
“A mussel is a living product, so you have to be careful”, Molenaar defends his showpiece. But according to him it is indeed a ‘real mussel pan’. “When there is a lot of demand, we can fill the pan, there are burners underneath so it can really cook, it’s a real mussel pan.”
First mussel in 29 years
There was also a first for NH’s reporter. He ate a mussel for the first time in his life during the last Monnickendammer Visdag of this year. “This is actually very tasty, that I have never eaten this in my 29-year existence,” is his surprised reaction. “Unprecedented, this is really delicious.”
The pan was not only there for decoration. The trays of mussels were sold by the Rotary for Open Eettafel: an initiative in which a group of seniors in Monnickendam enjoy a meal together once a month. The organization sponsors these meals with the proceeds from the mussels.