Bread, Jenever, miso & more

Slow Food Netherlands organizes harvest festival, celebrating local grains

September 17^th was all about grains in the Netherlands. Together with event location De Hoorneboeg and Elegast Cidery Slow Food the Netherlands organized a ‘grain-day’ as part of a harvest festival. On the beautiful terrain at the Hoorneboeg heathland, bakers, brewers, cooks, distillers, fermentation-gurus and other passionate people came together. Despite the rain, many enthusiasts came to taste, listen and share that day. At the central part of the terrain, there was a market with producers. Here visitors could taste delicious artisanal Jenever and malt wine from the ‘Warme Stokers’, and enjoy the most intense local grain miso and shoyu from ‘SmaakPark Ede’. Slow Food the Netherlands also had their own stand, together with Slow Food Amsterdam, with a variety of Dutch Ark of Taste products – such as Aged Artisanal Gouda and Traditional Boeren Leyden (two artisanal cheeses) – and sourdough bread coming from Stadsbakkerij Broodt. Besides that, there were several tastings and presentations of brewers such as Nevel and Graangeluk. Slow Food Netherlands also presented the ‘grainpanel’.

Old grains: irreplaceable or irrelevant?

This question was discussed thoroughly by the Slow Food Grain Panel’s three experts: researcher Noor Bas of Wageningen University, grain-grower Michiel Korthals and baker René van der Veer. Grain-farmer Marcel van Silfhout of ‘Graangeluk’ and Theo Bastiaans of the Foundation on the Conservation of Old Grain Varieties also spoke. Noor Bas talked about the history of grains as a cultivated crop. Michiel Korthals explained that ancient grains such as Ark of Taste grain Saint John’s Rye could have a positive impact on the soil and biodiversity. Baker René van der Veer proved that ancient grains such as the ‘Utrechtse Blauwe’ have excellent baking quality, as he provided a tasting of his artisanal sourdough bread. Many critical and interesting questions from the audience completed the panel.

Photo’s by: Jetske Amijs

This initiative is supported by Slow Food – through the Slow Food Europe Call for ideas 2022 –  and co-financed by the LIFE programme of the European Union. With this initiative Slow Food contributes to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the LIFE programme #LIFEis30