ASIANOVERLAND.NET WINTER EUROPEAN  DAY 48/221: AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

 "28/1/1981 - ANNE FRANK'S HOUSE

ROYAL PALACE

DAM SQUARE

NATIONAL MEAL & RED LIGHT AREA"

The Rijks Museum is a must-visit, as it houses one of my favourite paintings, Rembrandt’s Nightwatch (pictured). It is an immense work of art in every way, and never fails to impress the punters.

Our national meal tonight is Rijsttafel , a Dutch word that literally translates to "rice table", an Indonesian meal adapted by the Dutch based on nasi padang from the Padang region of West Sumatra. It consists of many dishes served in small portions and/or as a smorgasbord, accompanied by rice prepared in different ways. Popular side dishes include egg rolls, sambals, satay, fish, fruit, vegetables, pickles, and nuts. In most areas where it is served, such as the Netherlands, it is known under its Dutch name, and we always regard it as the Dutch National Meal, even though it is Indonesian.

The rijsttafel is a festive banquet that represents the multi-ethnic nature of the Indonesian archipelago. Dishes are assembled from many regions of Indonesia, where many different cuisines exist, often determined by ethnicity and culture of the particular island or island group — Javanese favourites sateh, tempeh and seroendeng;  vegetarian cuisine gado-gado and lodeh with sambal lalab from Batavia and Preanger; spicy rendang and gulai curry from Sumatra; East Indies ubiquitous dishes nasi goreng, soto ayam, and kroepoek crackers.

Although the dishes served are undoubtedly Indonesian, the rijsttafel’s origins were colonial from Indonesia, formerly a Dutch colony. Corrie's great uncle on her mother’s side, Pieter de Carpentier, at that time the Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies, was the first Dutch Governor of Batavia, and sent the Duyft and Arnhem south in 1623, where they discovered “New Holland”. They named the Gulf of Carpentaria after Corrie’s great uncle, and named Arnhem land after the Arnhem on it's 1623 voyage to New Holland. The Dutch, like every other invader for about 60,000 years, were fought off "New Holland" by the ferocious local indigenous people.

The Dutch introduced the rice table to Holland not only so they could enjoy a wide array of dishes at a single sitting, but also to impress visitors with the exotic abundance of their East Indies colony. Rijsttafels strive to feature an array of flavours, colours, spiciness, textures, crispy, chewy, slippery, soft, hard, velvety, gelatinous, and runny.

Best consumed with loads of Dutch beer, before attacking the Red Light district once more – for the great live music …..

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