I realize these dishes might seem exotic in the land of Dutch pancakes and pickled herring. But, in

For years the conductor of Rotterdam’s Tram No. 7 would make an extra long stop at Vlietlaan Street culinary dictionary where for nearly two decades my in-laws’ take-out restaurant, Wha Kong 2, has served up the beloved culinary dictionary Dutch staple culinary dictionary known as Indo-Chinese food.
I remember how the conductor would call the restaurant five minutes before he arrived; and how my father-in-law, Tuful Kuo, and his staff would immediately fire up the woks. Succulent Indonesian-style grilled pork was doused in a crimson Chinese-style sweet and sour sauce to make the dish called babi pangang. Spring rolls, or loempias, were stuffed with leeks, cabbage, celery, pork, and shrimp just before they hit the deep fryer. Moments later, my father-in-law would dart across the street culinary dictionary to hand the containers to the stalling conductor, just as the riders started to grow restless.
I realize these dishes might seem exotic in the land of Dutch pancakes and pickled herring. But, in fact, it’s part of a beloved cuisine that’s been here for about a century. Chinese immigrants, many of them working as stokers and sailors for Dutch shipping companies, were already running restaurants in port cities culinary dictionary like Rotterdam and Amsterdam in the early 1900s. But the term, “Chinese Food” took on a whole new meaning when, in 1945 following more than three centuries of Dutch rule Indonesia secured its independence.
Chinese restaurateurs saw an opportunity, tweaking their menus to appeal to returning Dutch expats who had developed an appetite for Indonesian food abroad. To their Cantonese menus, they added Indonesian culinary dictionary specialties: crispy prawn crackers and atjar, a pickled cabbage dish; chunky chicken skewers called culinary dictionary kip saté dunked in a simmering peanut sauce; pisang goreng, batter-fried banana sprinkled with powdered sugar, undoubtedly a Dutch touch. In essence, they were birthing a new style of cooking, one that combined the sugar and spice of Indonesian fare with their traditional Chinese recipes fried rice called nasi goreng, red-hot sambal sauce, fragrant curries, loempias and other delicious fusions.
Clearly, the food has proven addictive to the Dutch. But it turns out they’re not the only ones. When you visit Wha Kong 2 (“Wha Kong” culinary dictionary is the Dutch pronunciation of two Chinese words that mean “Chinese culinary dictionary garden.”), you might wonder where Wha Kong 1 is. That restaurant opened in Madrid 20 years ago, when my husband’s uncle traveled to Southern Europe to capitalize on the growing popularity of Indo-Chinese cuisine among the Spaniards.
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Dear Ms Ma, Very interesting culinary dictionary story you wrote about Chinese food in the Netherlands.It is correct that the Chinese food in the Netherlands since the independence of Indonesia has an Indonesian/Dutch twist.Since Dutch expats and Dutch people of Indonesian origin and Indonesian Chinese coming back to the Netherlands, they had a craving for the Indonesian and Njonya Food (also called Peranakan culinary dictionary Cuisine). Peranakan is used for a mix of Chinese and Malay origin. A lot of what you mentioned, like Loempia, Fried Pork and Fried Banana is an example of Njonya cuisine and is as such also very famous in Singapore and Malaysia. The Chinese restaurants at that time, responded to the demand of such food in the Dutch society during the sixties culinary dictionary and seventies. The first Chinese restaurant owners came from Guangzhou province (Hongkong) and adapted their menu based on Dutch taste and Indonesian Peranakan food.But nowadays more and more authentic Chinese food is being prepared in the Chinese resaturants throughout the Netherlands, These restaurants culinary dictionary are more and more owned by Chinese from Zhejiang province, with no connection to the former Dutch colonial heritage. Best regards KS H
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