Wednesday 7 October 2009

Zwolle Culinair: the Superstreekmarkt (super regional market)



De Week van de Smaak (in English, "National Tasting Week") is a gastronomic event in the Netherlands held every year to celebrate traditional, sustainable international and local food. National Tasting Week is celebrated with hundreds of different activities in which food and local produce takes central stage. Restaurants, local producers, farmers, food shops, cookery schools - they all organise their own activities in big and small cities across the country.

This event actually started back in 1992 in France, where it is known as Le Semaine du Goût and it soon extended into other European countries. Today, the event is celebrated in Switzerland (since 2001), Belgium (since 2006) and the Netherlands (since 2007).


In Zwolle, the city where I live, National Tasting Week was celebrated with many special activities. The Dutch Tourist Office (the VVV or Vereiniging van Vreemdelingenverkeer), for example, offered during the week of 21-27 September, a gastronomic walking tour through the historic city centre, visiting some of the best restaurants and shops which held tasting sessions or had special menus especially elaborated for the occasion.

"Sunday 27 September, Welcome to the Super Regional Market"

Another big event which took place to celebrate National Tasting Day was the Superstreekmarkt (in English, the "super regional market") in which traditional local produce was displayed on the approximately 50 stalls arranged around the restaurant of the Agnietenberg camping site in Zwolle.
There, visitors could taste and buy different regional products and delicacies that are not normally found in supermarkets but in traditional winkeltjes (in English, "little shops") in the city or in farms from the region. Also, there were open cooking demonstrations, talks, poetry reading, wine tasting, etc.

The market could be easily reached by car but there were other "fun" options, like sailing from the city centre of Zwolle to the Agnietenberg by boat on board "De Gebeurtenis"; or riding in one of the fietstaxis (taxi bikes) Fiestjoe.

The taxi-bike, an environmentlly friendly means of transport in Zwolle.

Some more photos of the Superstreekmarkt in the Agnietenberg, Zwolle:

Busy day at the Super Regional Market


A tasting of cheeses, patés and jams in one of the stalls in the market.


Did you know that there are more than 180 vineyards in the Netherlands? Winegrowing is a thriving industry that contributes about 1 million of bottle per year! There is even a vineyard in my own city, in Zwolle - check their website for more information about the wines and visiting or volunteering to work during the high season: Wijngaard De Swolse Marken.

Dutch wines at the market during the National Tasting Week in Zwolle.


The wine shop Henri Bloem had an international selection of wines for the public to taste. I was pleased to discover that one of their star wines (Felino, Viña Cobos, Malbec 2008) actually came from Mendoza, the wine producing region in my country, Argentina.

The wine tasting selection at the Henri Bloem stall in the market.


Visitors could also see, taste and buy another typical delicacy from the region: smoked eel.

The mobile smokehouse of Profarm Paling, a local producer.

Smoked eel or "gerookte paling", a local delicacy.


A stall displaying typical dry sausages.


The typical sausages of a local producer.


More "lekker" (in English, "tasty") sausages.

A view of the turnout for the Super Regional Market in Zwolle.


Of course there were a couple of stalls offering a tasting of locally made cheeses:







The stall of Isseldelta Bier.


Vinaigrettes ready to go!


Cook books for those looking for inspiration.


The winter garden at the Agnietenberg, Zwolle.


There is more to come yet, in this month of October: Zwolle Culinair, an event which will take place from 23 to 25 October in Deltion College, Zwolle.

If you are curious about other gastronomic events taking place in Zwolle, visit the Zwolle, Week van de Smaak website, or the VVVZwolle (Dutch Tourist Board, Zwolle).

13 comments:

Presépio no Canal said...

I will be there next year ;0)
I loved the Smaak Parade here in Almere, in the beautiful and green place of the Kemphaan :) and now with your tips and delicious fotos ;) I must go to Zwolle next year!
I love your city as you know :) It is so beautiful :)
I became curious with your winter garden! We must go there have a nice and warm cup of tea :)
Great, great post, Aledys! I enjoy more and more to come here!

Anita said...

What a fantastic post ! I had already heard that Holland has vineyards, but how can that be ? I think the grapes get a watered taste. I didn't know Malbeck was an Argentinean wine - there a perfume for men from famous Brazilian brand "O Boticario" that is wine based and is called "Malbeck" - huge success. De Zwolle Culinair has a pretty short duration,isn't it ? Iwill try to make it on Sunday, let's see...

Unknown said...

@Presépio,
All these culinary events are quite exciting, aren't they? I also liked what you posted about the Smaakparade in Almere. Let's get organised next year and do a sort of "cultural exchange" between Zwolle and Almere, what do you think? :o)
The winter garden is a very pretty gazebo in the Agnietenberg camping site - quite inviting for enjoying a cup of coffee and taking a breather from all that food tasting!
Thanks for your visit!

@Anita,
Argentina is known worldwide for its wines, at the moment I think it's in the 4th or 5th place of biggest winemakers.Malbec is one of the sorts of grape used to make red wine and its Argentine variety is the most celebrated around the world. Also the grape known as "torrontés" is a typical grape grown in Argentina, which produces a very nice white wine.
I'll have a write a post about Argentinean wines! :)There's another thing we are very passionate about over there! ;)
Yes, the Zwolle Culinair event is just 2 days, I think. As usual, I won't be in Holland by then - I'll be in Argentina for my annual holiday.
Thanks for your comments!!

VagaMundos said...

Hi Aledys. That sounds like a delicious week :) Cheers

Alejandra said...

Hola Aledys!!! Qupe buen post, se ve todo exquisito! sobre todo para el colesterol!!!
gracias por tus visitas y comentarios en mi blog, nos vemos!

Unknown said...

@Vagamundos,
Tasting Week is a superb national event to get acquainted with local flavours!
Thanks for stopping by!

@Alejandra,
Todo es cuestión de moderación y cuando hay tanta cosa rica uno se olvida del colesterol ;)
Saludos!

Unknown said...

Aggie,
I wish we could have this Superstreekmarkt at least once a month here in Zwolle! I'd be sure to attend every time ;)
Yes, in the UK you also find this sort of markets all around the country. It's fun!
Thanks for your visit!

thamarai said...

Sailing the way to a market!! cool! The whole setting and the pictures looks right out of a movie! Mooi! :)

buday said...

Oooohhh, a food festival.

I so wish we had a Food Tasting Week (oh god, WEEK! --- the pounds I would surely pack on, hahaha) in my country too.
The pics are lovely, as always, Aledys. I just wanted to reach in and grab a piece of that cheese... :)

Unknown said...

@Thamarai,
We didn't take the boat because we were afraid we'd oversleep that Sunday and miss it entirely. But next year I'll definitely go there by boat if they offer the option again!
Thanks for your comments on this!

@buday,
Well, probably you don't have a Food Tasting Week but you have lovely markets with wonderful produce and you can taste it? :)
Thank you for stopping by!

Droomvla said...

I'm glad I already had dinner. I was salivating while I was staring at your wonderful pictures! hahahahaha Hey, you don't live very far from me. That's nice...! I feel close to you now. HAHAHAHAHA

I'm definitely going to ths Oct 23-25 event. Already marked in my calendar. hehehehe Thanks for sharing!

Unknown said...

Droomvla,
Doesn't it all look too tempting? :)
Well, if you come to Zwolle for the Zwolle culinair event, then you will have to tell me all about it, for I'll be away, in Argentina.
Thanks for your comments on this!

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