Treats from Amsterdam

The title of this post will no doubt lead to numerous disappointments.

Look past the reputation Amsterdam has earned for drugs, brothels and stag parties from the UK and you'll find there is a food and drink scene that is unique not just to Holland but to the city itself. Rather boringly that is the main reason I keep going back there. A while ago I did a guest post on Beers I've Known with some very amateur beer and cheese pairings. One of the pairings I spoke of was Old Amsterdam and Brewerij ‘t IJ Natte. Sadly I was limited to what was available in the local off license and the supermarket for the beers that day and I settled for a glass or Pauwel Kwak. Last week my parents made a trip to Amsterdam and asked if there was anything I would like brought back, so I put in a request for 3 simple ingredients which they kindly delivered.

Brewerij ‘t IJ Natte - the fantastic sweet dark beer brewed in a converted windmill. May I suggest you check out to this place if you ever find yourself in Amsterdam, it's a keen walk from the town centre or a short tram ride. Last time I went for a couple there I ended up losing an afternoon. As I've mentioned before my Dad is a keen IPA fan and he brought me back one of the Brewerij ‘t IJ ones to try for the first time. I enjoy IPA, but not usually on the level that I enjoyed this one. It had a much smoother characteristic to it than the bitter hop bombs you occasionally encounter in your search for a good one here in England.

Old Amsterdam - The aged cheese that is delicious either as a table cheese or grated over food. Even aged and hard it still has a melt in the mouth quality to it. I adore gouda, I think it is a superbly textured and flavoured cheese that is suited perfectly for continental beer pairings and Old Amsterdam just takes a good thing a little further.

Ossenworst - I've never heard or seen this outside of Amsterdam. It's a speciality sausage particular to the city and as with most of these things if you want the good stuff you have to go back to its home to get it. Essentially it is a seasoned raw beef sausage. The seasonings, saltiness and texture again make it a superb bar snack. I notice now that there is finally a Wikipedia article for it, previously I've wondered whether I dreamt eating it!

To complete my snack I reached into the cupboard and pulled out a few cocktail gherkins and some Dijon mustard. Full sized pickles and Bavarian sweet mustard would have been preferable but you have to work with what is available sometimes.

A delicious snack bringing back some very fond memories indeed. However, I feel another trip will be in order again soon if I am to complete the experience and try out a few more of the delicacies Amsterdam has to offer. Including pickled herring, trappist cheese pie, hemp seed chocolate and some extremely good coffee (an advantage of being a sea port). Also there is no substitute for a beer lover to sitting in a traditional "brown bar" with a trappist beer and a plate of cheese and mustard and nothing much better to be doing for the afternoon.