In the north, the wind always blows. Sometimes it blows in your face, sometimes it blows hard into your face. With the wind come the clouds. With the clouds, sometimes it rains. The advantage of a partly cloudy day is that the clouds and the rain often pass quickly. High in the north, the climate is different. When it rains in Utrecht, it is often dry in the north. And vice versa. The temperature is somewhat lower there, but it’s pleasant to be around. That also has its impact on the gastronomy. The grain republic of the Wadden It is located more to the east. In the high north, on the other hand, you will find potatoes, vegetables, sugar beets, but also the fish from the Wadden Sea and the North Sea. We will explore the gastronomy of the Wadden.
Oysters, harders and a pinball machine
Lauwersoog is a construction. A village that is actually not a village. Decades ago, there was nothing there. The name Lauwersoog actually means Lauwerseiland. Until the late 1960s and 1970s, it was also an island. It was actually a working island, built in the 1960s and 1970s. It was actually a working island, for the purpose of closing the Lauwerszee. That is how it is also arranged. It lacks a heart, a soul. There is the harbor, you have the lake and mainly the boat to the island of Schier. The well-known three-in-one church-pub-Rabobank is more simple here. Only one pub provides cohesion here. The fishermen also know each other and help each other when necessary.
’t Ailand
The signs on the outside and inside of the ’t Ailand Secretly, verraden stiekem is a lot. Slow food, with the image of a snail, is just one of those nods to the reality of the day. It is the beating heart of a beautiful fishing company. Barbara is the cheerful hostess. From behind her desk, she has everything under control. With the radio on O.V.T. and a view of the harbor, little can go wrong. That Barbara is full of stories should come as no surprise. When you receive people day in, day out and are at sea, there is more than one story to tell.
The company, run by Barbara and her friend Jan, fish throughout the year for oysters, and in the summer months also with nets. Oysters, hard shell crabs and other fish from the Wadden Sea. Barbara does not like the deep sea. Perhaps the dangers of the open sea play a part. As she puts it: ‘I am not afraid of getting wet, but I want to be able to stand in the sea.’ The Wadden Sea is perfect for that.
Oysters are a dirty job
The oysters from ’t Ailand are wild oysters. No cultivation, just pure and local. They grow right in front of your door, in the Wadden Sea. Picking oysters is not a clean job. ‘Ordinary net fishermen have it a lot easier’, says Barbara, ‘they throw their fish on the pier, that goes on ice and the next Thursday the money is in the account.’ In the oyster business, it all takes a little longer. You have to pick the oysters. You have to know where to find them, you have to deal with the tides and the weather. Once you have them, it really starts. The oysters are attached together and you have to separate them. Then sort by size. Then remove the outer shell, such as Zeepokken, chewing gum and all the rest. The oysters then have to be in water. Then in a basket, off to the customer. A day picking oysters is a week of cleaning up. That’s a different story.
Soap bars His small organisms nestle on all sorts of surfaces, including oysters, in the Wadden Sea. Barbara can't help but tell the anecdote about the male's genitalia. It seems that males have 30 cm of reproductive organs to contend with. Or rather, they stay in their own place and the organ does the rest. 'He kind of eats all the females,' Barbara says with a laugh. For an organism of a few millimeters in size, that's quite a feat. And for us, of course, a beautiful story..
Flipping
While Barbara is making coffee and serving the homemade apple pie, friend Jan is with his team in the market in Utrecht and Groningen. The organic market of course. Jan is also often at sea fishing and picking oysters. He turns out to have another hobby as well. Barbara throws it out between her lips: ‘If he’s not at the stall, then he must be playing pinball’. From behind the counter comes a nice addition: ‘A Saturday without pinball is a day without living’. To verify this, we ask if it really is about the pinball machine. There is confirmation. Jan seems to be a gifted pinball player who can compete with the best in the world. The theme of his favorite pinball machine? ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. The laughter can no longer be contained.
War is more felt here than elsewhere
If you really want to experience the Wadden Islands, the best way to do it is along the sea. On the coastal road, which is on the right side of the dyke. On sunny days it’s busy with cyclists here; on other days you’re the only one there. With a lost seal, a herd of sheep and a flock of birds as companions. Many people don’t know that this part of the country is also a large military training ground. Marnehuizen is the training base from which ‘our men’ are trained to fight the enemy. Chance or not, during our visit the coastal road, as part of the grounds, is completely closed off. We hear later that it’s a large military exercise. Given the situation in the world, it’s no different; just take a detour. The Ukrainian family we met two days earlier at the North Cape The dykes on the river had to be adjusted really quickly.
Lauwersmeer
The Netherlands is the king of water management. Of course, we have our own Prins Pils, but we are known worldwide for the ingenious ways we keep our feet dry. That’s to be expected, given that much of our country is below sea level. At Lauwersoog, too, they have delivered a fine example of craftsmanship. A beautiful nature park that actually originated from the construction of dykes. The flood of 1953 prompted the drainage of this piece of land. That wasn’t without its difficulties. Without the Lauwerszee Action Committee, we would have had to cycle through the water here now.
The closure of the sea created new flora and fauna. Since 2003, the former Lauwerzee has now been given the title of National Park. Birds, peace and space. Here you can also find the Netherlands in a nutshell: on one side of the N361 you are not allowed to enter the park because of the breeding birds. On the other side, it is a training ground. Long live freedom.
Most beautiful villages in the Netherlands
Groningen has many beautiful villages. Winsum is one of them. In 2020 it was the most beautiful village in the Netherlands according to the experts of ANWB. Of course, you also know it from the saying: You Winsum, You L… Don’t forget Niehove, on the west side of Groningen. That is also a gem. A protected village landscape, with a 13th-century church, built on a mound.
The village of Zoutkamp, which we drive through and is the center of the shrimp fishing, is also one of those beautiful villages. Just for that reason, this part of Groningen is more than just the road to the Wadden Islands. There is atmosphere, beautiful history, and fantastic gastronomy.
Pure and local enjoyment in Piloersemaborg
The hostess of Piloersemaborg It takes us to the table. Everything is neatly laid out. Beautiful linen. Beautiful wine glasses and a wonderful ambiance. This is where elegant dining takes place. The menu only features local products and blood orange from Sicily. Wines from Piedmont. Tap water. As it should be here. Amuse, appetizers and a main course with local fish. The Ronde van Vlaanderen is secretly running in the background via the app. A large figure stands next to the table. With a slight North-Holland accent, he remarks: ‘I understand that you are cyclists?’ The man in question is none other than Dick Soek. Former professional cyclist, now manager of the establishment. With a love for Piedmont, where he learned the tricks of cycling and the art of cooking.
About the price and more
The course isn’t quite in the ‘right groove’ as the Flemish say. Dick follows it closely. Later it turns out that in addition to the kitchen, in his office, he also keeps the course on hand. The blood runs where it shouldn’t. That’s to be expected, because his daughter Julia, as a former pro, is now team manager for the women’s team at Le Col-Wahoo. During the tour after dinner, we are blown away. Not only the food was to be savoured, but the beautiful spaces of this castle also deserve a hefty number of stars. Tip for the lovers: the 5 rooms of the B&B They are still available. Ideal for a dinner with a night of sleep. Here you can truly experience the gastronomy of the Waddens!
With Dick, we can still talk for 100 hours about the course. About the stories, about that contract in Italy that he didn’t sign anyway. The ingredients in the food, almost all of which come from local sources. Except for the oranges from Sicily. At the Etna, because those are the best. Also, her wife, who served us as a hostess, can talk at length about the deposit. This time she’s letting her husband do it.
Surprise
We are a bit overwhelmed by this experience. We thought we were going to have a quick bite to eat. What a pleasant surprise this is. Just like the rest of our trip through the Wadden Sea region. There is so much more behind this area. So much more than the image that is often painted of this part of the country. It is beautiful here. Beautiful things are being created, we have eaten in wonderful restaurants and had beautiful conversations. The coffee at Spaak Tastes better than the tent one from my neighborhood. It was sometimes cold, but that was everywhere in the Netherlands. And the wind? That's part of it. Because without that wind, we wouldn't have had Bauke Mollema now. That's it.
Route
This is the ideal route for the Taste of the Wadden. If you stop at the Piloersemaborg? Then please take the time to process it properly.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.