Tasty Amsterdam
Food enthusiasts unite May 15th – 18th for a series of delicious summer outings surrounding culinary culture from around the world as Amstel Park hosts the annual Taste of Amsterdam festival. Some of the Dutch capital’s most well reputed restaurants serve up the best in international cuisine with their signature dishes. The Taste of Amsterdam illuminates all the senses with rare aromatic flavours, delightful textures, insightful conversations and savory memories. Observe renowned chefs in masterful action. Guide your taste buds through a tasting tutorial. Sample nature’s bounty at the gourmet and organic market which boasts over 60 total merchant stands to entice and satisfy even the most discriminating appetite.
Of the fifteen featured restaurants, three have Michelin star ratings: Bibi (Restaurant Elkaar), Aan De Poel, and The Friends of Jacob (De Vrienden Van Jacob). Also, British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s own Fifteen Amsterdam restaurant will be in the mix. With foods as diverse as a gourmet burger bar to Eastern Turkish to concept Indonesian to local Dutch cuisine, there is bound to be something for everyone.
A dozen programs each day provide an extra level of engaging with and learning within this foodie assembly. Come and cook with some of the many chefs at the AEG Cooking Club. Also, the AEG Hospitality Truck offers a feel for working with professional equipment. There is even a G6 event where six top chefs have fun teaching while interacting together on the same stage.
Beyond all this is the Taste Cooking Theater program where a long list of chefs prepare dishes for live cooking shows. Similarly, each day one can attend sommelier presentations at the Wine & Spirits Theater. However, for a more exclusive experience, VIP membership allows access to the Sublime VIP Pavilion where one may taste everything in a quiet, personal setting.
There will be about 20 small produce farmers present at a separate market to also inform the public about their farms and produce. More in line with simple down to earth cooking, those who crave excellent barbecue are urged to come join the Amsterdam BBQ Challenge. Enter to present one’s own recipe and perhaps even win a prize.
On the opposite end of the festival’s spectrum, there is the Flavour Sensation program for those seeking new tastes in both food and drink. Here respected sources actualize experimental ideas and deliver their concoctions to an eager audience. A delectable series of shock and awe awaits visitors to this event.
Around 30 fine food exhibits round out an exquisite forum for specialty food. Here is an opportunity to acquaint oneself with lesser known, regional foods. Peruse this platform for a fanciful set of surprising finds.
Among this collective plentitude, the Kookstudio Guild educates about the quality and the background of ingredients common to Dutch cuisine with group lessons on hygiene, on organic production, and on general cooking. Workshops here spread the resilient culture of fresh produce cooking that meet the Guild’s highest standards.
The Dutch company Makro, akin to Ikea, has a pavilion to present new cooking products. Chefs are also there to provide examples of cooking with this equipment. Come grab a glimpse at cooking gear innovations.
Finally, a designated Kid’s Corner supplies messages about healthy food for the little ones. This program teaches parents about
children’s nutrition as well as hosting kid focused events about natural foods that appeal to their taste buds. The Italy Pavilion next door has some child entertainment programs too.
What more can one desire of the culinary arts? This feast of tongue tickling events is where enthusiasts of spectacular food and of Dutch culture converge for several days to share some taste and cooking comradery.
For more information go to:
Amsterdam Brown Cafes, Pancake Houses, and Restaurants
