The Albert Cuyp Market

So close to home!

When I first visited Amsterdam with a University trip I didn't manage to stumble upon the Albert Cuyp market. Probably because it was snowed under and we were totally unprepared for it so spent most of the three days hiding in cafés and museums. It wasn't until I had a real Dutch guide around the city, my good friend Wouter, that I found the sensational street market. Therefore it was such a happy coincidence that when I eventually moved here my host family lived just a couple of streets away. I can’t imagine now not being so close to all of the Dutch delights. As well as all of the food and drink stalls there are several bloemen stands which provide my bedroom with beautiful, bright flowers. Furthermore, Cuyp sells random gadgets, toys, clothes, textiles, antiques, carpets and furniture. It is just incredible and I find myself visiting the 1 mile or more-long street most days just for a wander, a small purchase or a sneaky sample of cheese.

Small History

The market became official in 1905 when the government got fed up of the chaos of random stalls everywhere. It was just open for a short time on a Saturday evening and then in 1912 it became as it is now, open Monday through to Saturday. Albert Cuyp was the name of a 17^th century Dutch painter.

Click on the link below to access the official website for the market. Several languages are available.

http://www.albertcuypmarkt.nl/

There are a few points I wish to share, which are all linked to the market and therefore I won’t be fitting them all in this one post. I will be referring back to this little gem quite a bit so keep a look out.

 

The reason I wanted to begin with the market is because when dealing with food it is essential to know where to get your products from. This market has nearly everything a person could desire to get a good cook on. Firstly there is the fresh produce: vegetables, fish, meat, nuts, chocolates, and spices. The colours of the veg are just thrilling. On a dreary day there is nothing more cheery than seeing the perfectly displayed red, green and yellow peppers, juicy purple beetroots, huge orange squashes, tiny button mushrooms and strange, curly, bendy forest mushrooms.  Placed amongst long leeks, earthy potatoes, weird varieties of veg I have never seen before and can’t even tell you their names, there are crunchy cauli’s, bulging broccolis and baskets and baskets of fresh coriander, basil, tijm, ginger and garlic. Maybe it is just a foody kinda thing, but I can’t resist the beauty of the produce and even though my au pair deal means my food is included, I just want to buy it all! I honestly can’t say I have seen anything like it back in old GB apart from at farmers markets. Albert Cuyp is cheap at half the price. There is nothing more comforting and heart-warming than seeing good solid food being sold for a decent price with a smile practically on your doorstep!

Now for the rest. The smells (if you can stand fishiness) are just fab. Wandering along you start to smell the just-coming-into-bloom tulips then a bit further the promise of a fresh stroopwafel lingers in the air. Next the nuts and dried fruits come into view, just rows and rows of everything you want to nibble on. They don’t seem to sell things like ground almonds in the Dutch supermarkets- Albert will not disappoint!!

The chocolate stand is one of my favourites. To keep up the Amsterdam persona it even sells chocolate boobs, penises and vaginas- just what you fancy on a Monday morning. The fresh fish looks and tastes flippin’ marvellous. When my sister came to visit we bought fresh salmon and then some vegetables and made an amazing Thai dish. (Recipe can be shared if you wish!). 

The fishiness then dissolves into a tangy acidic scent and we have stopped in front of the juice stalls. You can choose between freshly squeezed orange juice, fruit smoothies, coconut milk and pineapple based drinks all for 1.50 euro each. Great to grab for getting that hit of vitamin C into your body. 

Leaving the healthy drinks we are soon to stumble upon the chickens slowly roasting on a spit- if that doesn't make your mouth water then I don’t know what will. Chicken saté can also be purchased here, which is a big dish in Holland. I am finding it similar to our steak and kidney pie, fish and chips, and chicken tikka masala; it is a guaranteed option in most eating places pub grub style.

 I am not sure if you can smell the cheese stands at every turn, however, you can certainly see the glowing yellow rounds of the best Holland cheeses glaring in your direction as you navigate your way through the thick crowds. There are samples galore and you shouldn't shy away from asking questions, having a quick munch and buying something you really enjoy.

Backing onto the main street stalls there are tonnes of bakers, butchers, cafés and restaurants, which took me a good few weeks to even notice they were there. It feels like there are four rows of food and drink to be discovered on one busy street- I find new things every time and still can’t hunt down places I have been told are definitely there! It is exciting to see how many different cultures are represented around the market. It reminds me of being back at university in Leeds, living up in Headingley or around Hyde park with all of the Asian shops selling the most different and exotic looking goods. The international supermarket got a lot of custom from our house on Brudenell view! Back to Amsterdam though, there are Surinamese stalls, Moroccan stands and Turkish vendors giving out dollops of humus on their freshly baked bread, yesterday a Hungarian booth appeared. The market really does epitomise the multiculturalism of De Pijp. To put it simply there is so much to discover on this one street and if you are a tourist then it is essential (in my opinion) that you put this somewhere in your travel agenda. Even if you aren't in need of a weekly shop you can most certainly find a bustling café on the corner to watch the people go by.

Eating hint: grab bits and pieces from all over the market and have a little tapas style party! Feta cheese, sun dried tomatoes, chunky fresh bread, olives, humus, Dutch old cheese, salad, herring and gherkins. Have a feast!

Although the market has many inspired food cultures we cannot ignore the fact that it is in Holland…. And the classic Dutch favourites are what I crave more than anything. Stroopwafels, poffertjes, cheese and vlaamse frites, just to name a few, are dotted around the market and my life would not be the same right now without them!! I still haven’t dared to try raw herring, maybe I will before I leave. Not making any promises though.

So this was just a little introduction as to what the Albert Cuyp market has to offer and to celebrate De Pijp as a centre of multicultural eating and drinking. The cute cafés, restaurants and little specialities will be covered individually and in muchos detail soon- got to give them the time they deserve!

Jo*