Cover Dutch chefs are proving that innovation doesn’t have to come from opulence; it can come from quiet origins, from curiosity, from respect, from rekindling forgotten moments, and from looking not too far (Photo: Krijn van der Lugt)
Dutch chefs are proving that innovation doesn’t have to come from opulence; it can come from quiet origins, from curiosity, from respect, from rekindling forgotten moments, and from looking not too far (Photo: Krijn van der Lugt)
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The Dutch chefs are quietly creating and rediscovering a nation’s dining that feels human: less about ego, more about culinary pride
This is possibly one of my most frequently asked questions: “Why do you focus so much on Dutch gastronomy?” I think I can best answer it when I think back to the times I’ve interviewed Jonnie Boer, a widely acknowledged pioneer who shaped the Dutch culinary scene as we know it today.
It was a decision he stuck to when he founded De Librije more than 30 years ago. He shunned ingredients considered essential in classical fine dining and purposefully followed the principle of choosing to use only what was close to home. According to Jonnie, the humble Dutch fauna could offer everything a chef would want: the ocean, the polders and the richness of the the land.
In every way and more, Jonnie was right. The Dutch landscape has so much to offer, yet it hasn’t been romanticized in art, films, or culture. The typical Dutch pastry hasn’t been oversaturated like the French croissant. Yet, look closely, and the impact the Dutch have had on the way we eat is understated but profound.
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Above The iconic Amsterdam skyline
The iconic Amsterdam skyline
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The Dutch culinary scene is like a melting pot of cultures, much like cities that grew along primary trading routes. Take Hong Kong or New York, where it’s difficult to pinpoint exactly a culinary identity, because it took a community to shape the way a city eats. In Hong Kong, Portuguese egg tarts and British-influenced Hong Kong-style milk tea have become city signatures.
For centuries, the Netherlands has been a land of trade and tolerance, a crossroad where cultures and ideas met, where the spices of the world arrived and found new homes. But it’s also a land of remarkable agricultural innovation. Despite its small size, the Netherlands is the second-largest food exporter in the world, supplying over €120 billion of agricultural products annually. Dutch farmers grow vegetables, fruits, dairy, and flowers with unmatched precision, often in state-of-the-art greenhouses that maximize flavor, minimize water use, and reduce pesticides. More than 90% of the tomatoes, bell peppers, and cucumbers in the EU are grown in the Netherlands, allowing chefs access to consistent, high-quality ingredients year-round.
Above A dish at Restaurant De Nieuwe Winkel
A dish at Restaurant De Nieuwe Winkel
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It’s always been parts of history that we inherit and need to protect the narrative and stories. It’s about acknowledging the influence of Indonesian and Surinamese cuisine. It’s about understanding the importance of how Dutch communities farmed, lived, and ate through time, cultivating forgotten produce like salsify, Jerusalem artichoke, beetroot, kohlrabi, and celeriac. These ingredients are now finding new life on Michelin-starred plates, reimagined through science, terroir knowledge, and culinary creativity.
At the same time, it took me 12 years to get used to this understated humility. This ‘doe normaal’ mentality where success is silently celebrated, opulence is frowned upon, and world-class performance is quietly mastered is deeply embedded in Dutch culture. Dutch gastronomy needs a cheerleader because they are not naturally loud, even if they are the best at what they do. As a historically trading nation, they had to navigate different cultures, build networks of trust, and simply put… being humble helped. It’s a similarity I’ve also noticed in Hong Kong, where commerce is built on mutual respect and shared success.
Above Emile van der Staak
Emile van der Staak
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This humility makes Dutch gastronomy easy to love — you almost want it to succeed because it doesn’t even realize how good it is.
It matters because Dutch chefs are proving that innovation doesn’t have to come from opulence; it can come from quiet origins, from curiosity, from respect, from rekindling forgotten moments, and from looking not too far. Dutch agricultural innovation plays a huge role here: precision farming, circular agriculture, vertical farming, and focused collaborations with a network of institutions give chefs access to ingredients that are sustainable, hyper- local, and meticulously crafted. The Netherlands also globally leads in alternative proteins: it’s home to pioneers in cultured meat and insect based proteins, feeding directly into the culinary experimentation of its chefs.
Above Joris Bijdendijk
Joris Bijdendijk
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The Dutch chefs are quietly creating and rediscovering a nation’s dining that feels human: less about ego, more about culinary pride. It’s what Jonnie meant when he reached deep into the crisp waters of Giethoorn to pull out an inconspicuous weed, turning it into the most curiously delicious thing you had that day. Or believing in the capability of your farmers, as with Eef Stel, building decades-long partnerships that transform how the nation’s restaurants work with produce.
It’s what Sidney Schutte does with tulip bulbs, a potentially controversial ingredient due to its historical connection to economic hardship. Or giving the humble herring the treatment it deserves as a fatty and underrated fish of the North Sea.
Above A dish at Rijks
A dish at Rijks
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It’s what Joris Bijdendijk does with undervalued ingredients like beetroot, showing that a root once considered mundane can be a centerpiece or by putting goat on his menu, supporting sustainable dairy practices where the Netherlands is the leading producer of goat milk in Europe.
It’s what Emilie van der Staak does by understanding surrounding natural ecosystems and experimenting exclusively with vegetables, crafting menus that anticipate the inevitable protein transition, the shift to more plant-based, sustainable diets.
It matters because food is culture and culture is food. Dutch gastronomy tells the story of a people reimagining what it means to be small yet significant, grounded yet global. The fact that Amsterdam is the 5th city in Europe with the most Michelin stars shows that while Dutch gastronomy might be stereotyped as stroopwafels and cheese, it’s also about innovation, sustainability, and quietly cheering for your own nation.
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Images: Krijn van der Lugt
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