10 WEIRD THINGS IN DUTCH SUPERMARKETS!
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- In this episode, Michelle and Alex, two Americans living abroad in the Netherlands, rank the 10 weirdest or quirkiest things they've experienced in Dutch grocery stores.
Episode 103 · Filmed on October 12, 2023 · Dordrecht, The Netherlands
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0:00 Introduction
0:29 Number 10
1:16 Number 9
1:57 Number 8
2:31 Number 7
3:12 Number 6
4:05 Number 5
4:56 Number 4
5:59 Number 3
6:35 What even is this ranking?!
7:09 Number 2
8:04 Number 1
8:14 Number 1 (actually...)
9:20 Wrap up
#netherlands #expatlife #groceryshopping #grocerystore
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WHO IS BUNCHARTED?
We're Michelle and Alex, an American expat couple living abroad in the Netherlands. 🇳🇱
In 2020, we quit our jobs to travel the world, and... well, that didn't happen. So in 2022, we decided to make an even BIGGER change by packing up our lives (and our cats 🐈) and moving from Austin, Texas, in the US, to Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Subscribe for new videos like this every week!
A very popular use for empty jars in the Netherlands is the following: undo the lid and screw it under a shelf in your garage or other place where you keep your tools, then just screw the jar onto it and you have a practical way to keep your screws, nails etc. etc. And they are transparant, so no guessing in what pot they are! And the most important for us Dutchies: they are free!
😊 l learned this from my grandpa
deze top beunmod was ik vergeten, tnx
We do this in the US too with baby food jars
Well when u live here for a few monts u will get wy thats important for us.
Jezus fuck, are your baby food jars that big as well? Figures...@@Krystalfaye
Interesting, as a German who occasionally drives across the border to shop: The Dutch have very, very tasty VLA and there is a large selection of good liquorice. And lots of nuts. Kind regards from Northern Germany
Why is it always the Germans who like vla
@@spoenk7448 ever tried to get it in Germany?
It's far more common for Dutch people to shop in Germany because of the lower prices, especially for toiletries. The only vla (ready-made custard sauce) I've seen in Germany is the heat-treated stuff in small cartons.
@@spoenk7448 dont you like it? most dutch people eat it too
@@arturobianco848 Well, I am Dutch, being born approx. 1 km from the German border, now living at about 5 kms from the same border. I always buy my desserts in Germany, because their variety on desserts is incomparably bigger, based on milk (also what we would call 'vla' or custard), yoghurt, etc.
The salads are very popular to eat as an evening snack, on toast (toostje) or on a slice of baguette (stokbroodje). Especially on a Saturday night when you have friends over, accompanied by blocks of cheese (kaasblokjes) and slices of liver sausage (leverworst).
I hate when dutch people use verklein woordjes for every word.
Ik nu
We also put them on our bread
And it is not all egg ;-)
I like the toastjes thing as a lunch on Sundays, together with a selection of cheeses.
I laughed out loud seeing those empty bread shelves. That is so relatable. The best time to buy your favourite bread is before noon. A friend of mine actually calls the grocery store to make a reservation for his bread, so when he's late, he still can have one. Welcome to the Netherlands.
Yeah, I do that too every now and then at the local bakery !
They even take orders for next day f.i. .....very convenient !! (Kudo's to Bakkerij Ammerlaan 😜)
Yehh it's awful for someone who often wakes at 11 or later xD
Thankfully the bakeries let me reserve if necessary.
There is a reason for this ,it reduces the bread they have to trowe away ,but i must say there is still bread but not so much choise in the afternoon
Always buy your bread from a local “ warm” bakery or nearby farmer / miller . You will taste the difference . And with a good relationship with the baker you will never be out of bread cause he saves it for you .
Yes I'm Dutch and discovered this when I started working 08:00 - 17:00 a few years ago. Up until this day I'm still like "HOW DO PEOPLE WITH A JOB BUY THEIR DAMN BREAD!?!?"
I can confirm that the juice is pretty good! I only tried it a couple of times, I'm not really an orange juice drinker, but it's definitely way better than anything pre-bottled.
The thing with the freshly made juice too, is that since you see it being pressed right in front of you, you are absolutely sure nothing has been added (like sugar or extremely reduced apple juice, a.k.a. sugar)
Did you really ask if fresh squeezed oranges are better than processed juice you must be American lol
It's really good and fresh + no sugars or other stuff added.
We used to have a machine like that at work, but the insides were disgusting after a while. It's better to buy the oranges and squeeze them at home
@@Anslenemans 10 years ago as a teen I used to work at Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands. The bigger albert heijn buildings usually have this machine and it does get dirty, that's why every day during the clean-up round near closingtime it gets cleaned.
I figured the weirdest thing would be that taxes are included in the prices. I've never been to the USA but I understood that in the US in supermarkets taxes are not included on the pricetags in the aisles, but taxes are added at the check out. Which seems somewhat unconvenient in a convenience store
that’s a good one!
Holy 💩 thinking you are a good spending shopper and get a surprise at the checkout? 🤑😵💫🤢
Better have the tac included at the price cards than
@@buncharted After being in the Netherlands for a year you probably think that the American way to give prices without taxes is weird
But that is the same in all european countries and not specific for the Netherlands.
About the orange juice machine, yes I always use that. The price is the same as the juice in the cooler. But the flavor is much better. I recommend using this next visit
As a kid in the 90s in the Netherlands I can't remember having a sandwich or even seeing an adult eating a sandwich with those salads (#4). At that time, these salads were mostly put on crackers during birthday parties. But currently these salads are very popular on bread as a sandwich, I also use them on bread. So I assume these salads became popular as sandwich spread during the 2000s or 2010s. (I started putting them on sandwiches in my 20s when I left home)
When I grew up in the 70s already a popular sandwich filler were the different flavours of Heinz sandwich spreads. Those salads basically are the fresher equivalent.
@@hannekehartkoorn5987 ah yes good point, Heinze sandwich spread was already popular back then.
As a kid, in 70/80 I always had this on my bread. Not much choise back than. Sellery was my fav.
I eat them more on bread/crackers at home then on toast during parties too. Also started doing so in the '90's when I saw a friend doing that instead cheese on bread.
It has always been there. Just not as many choices.
The salades not all are egg-based, as some already said. They are popular to eat on bread as a sandwich, but would also be served if you have some friends or family over for a drink and a bite. Usually then you would have them on crackers or a baguette warmed up in an oven etc. This makes me wonder - did you make any Dutch friends already?
not sure how it is in the Netherlands but here in Belgium there can be a huge difference in quality for these salades so some testing/tasting might be needed before you find a good price/quality one.
Yeah i whas wondering it myself to iff thay got some real dutch friends because you can realy learn from them as well.
These aren't salads, it is just mayonaise based shit
@@s0012823 Which are egg and oil based
Most have egg and oil related stuff in the ingredients.
as a Dutch person it's really fun to reverse learn how our grocery stores differ from american ones
The tin can has a peculiar smell and taste, the glass jars don't have that, it tastes better and the glass is reusable so better for the enviroment. all those spreads at the store is used a lot on a "toastje" a small piece of toasted dough served with a mostly alcoholic drink in the evening or cocktail hour instead of bitterballen :D
Most glass is just re-melted after you throw it in the glass bin. The cans are also recycled, because it it metal it is easy to remove from the trash, so if you just throw away your cans, they will be recycled. No idea if glass or cans are using less energy.
As an American, the biggest surprise to me was not being able to pay with a credit card.
Tin cans have no smell or taste, unless you're doing it wrong. You still have a metal lid, so hey, good luck with that. The big difference, you can reseal a glass jar if you don't use it all. With a tin can, you're going to need another sealable container.
@@mjgilbert5475 you will need a debit card, not a credit card
@@mjgilbert5475but why would you want to pay your groceries with a credit card though? 🤔
I use the fresh OJ machine quite often. But the quality may vary, depending on the batch of oranges. It's never bad, and most of the time it's better than the bottled fresh juice from the cooling. But you can be sure: it is 100% OJ without anything else. Also: it's fun using the machine (kids seem to love it).
Do you have to pay for that or is it free like the coffee machine?
You do have to pay for it. the machine basically fills a bottle (various sizes, you pick which you want) with fresh orange juice. They're generally the same type of bottles that are also refrigerated (the ones right after in the video).
one time i came in the jumbo, and the OJ machine was no oranges in it. so i walked over to the fruit section and choose the most expensive oranges and threw them in and made me some nice bottle of OJ
@@johndoe6817 There is always a box of oranges next to the machine, specifically for the OJ, lmao, what you did was funny but basically stealing.
I actually buy oranges and squeeze them at home. Am I weird?
The veggies in glass jars is just a commercialized version of mason jar canning. It's how most Dutch preserved their foods themselves way back when. So when supermarkets came to the scene this was something familiar to stock up your shelves with. As most of us also like to have a food storage for a certain amount of time. Since we are all decedents of the war, we are somewhat conditioned to have a little food stock just in case.
It is also more convenient if you want to use only part of the content of the jar.
You can't store opened cans in the fridge since the can will oxidize right away and change the taste of the food. You also can't close the can.
Both of these things aren't an issue with glass jars.
The downside of the jars for me is opening the lids.
I have small hands and am not as strong as I would like to be.
And yes, I know about jars opening tools, but I have no come across one that fits all jars and function properly.
Or maybe I'm just clumsy...
@@ChallieWallielook for a "jar key", it lifts the lid slightly breaking the vacuum so you can easily twist it. I love mine and use it all the time :-)
@@Claudiaatje212 or just the "ghetto" way how I learned it from my father ;) just hit the edge of the lid with a spoon (or whatever object) so it dents a little bit, releasing some of the pressure.
Also jars appear better quality than canned vegetables. It has something to do with being able to see the contents making you trust it more.
@@ChallieWallie Google jarkey opener it is a little plastic tool with a ring on top. Works the best in my opinion.
One thing I found weird at first was fillet American( raw pulped beef with seasoning and some other stuff to help it spread) Being Brittish the thought of eating raw meat seemed disgusting. I totally love it now, with chopped onions and black pepper ..lekker!
The best one IMHO is a white pistolet with filet american with egg / onion / little bit of mayonaise / salt / pepper...try it!
As a brit abroad I was unsure myself. Tried it & honestly love it. Also ossenworst is basically raw beef, very finely minced with some seasoning. It's so soft & melts in your mouth.
I'm dutch and I find it absolutely disgusting 😂
@@cazzadeathgirl for a sandwich filling very gratifying, you know you've had something good
"Being Brittish the thought of eating raw meat seemed disgusting"
I thought you have steak tartare in Brittain? ;-)
The glass jars also mean that BPA and other chemicals found in plastics, cans and can linings aren’t there to leach into the food. It’s much healthier! I wish the USA had more jarred everything! It’s sad we don’t
The fresh salad spreads for bread that you find in many varieties in Dutch supermarkets are rarely egg salads. If it's an egg salad, that's specifically written on it. The Dutch and Belgians love spreads on bread and have come up with a different salad for bread based on different ingredients. The general similarity is that it contains a lot of mayonnaise, salt and sugar, but nothing else. If you have a cucumber salad, it is cucumber with mayonnaise. If you have a farmer's salad, this is carrot and celery with yes; mayonnaise. If you have meat salad, you have something that looks like meat with leek and mayonnaise. There are even old cheese salads, with old cheese and yes: mayonnaise.
Perhaps "egg salad" is a US way of saying "mayonnaise", which does have a lot of egg in it?
@@RudyAdrian take a look at the ingredients list of a mayonnaise from the supermarket. there is little or no egg left in it. Here's a nice example: Rapeseed oil, water, vinegar, EGG yolk 5%, sugar, mustard (water, MUSTARD SEEDS, vinegar, salt, flavoring, spices), salt, thickener: xanthan gum, antioxidant E385, natural flavoring, coloring agent: carotenes.
In fact, the German example should be followed. A sauce can only be called mayonnaise if, I believe, it contains at least 30% egg yolk and 50% oil and it consists of oil, egg yolk, mustard and vinegar.
you do realise that mayonaise is egg based?
If you make your own mayonnaise, yes. but just look at mayonnaise packaging in supermarkets. Egg goes somewhere at the end of the ingredients list. The ingredients that have the highest percentage share in the mayonnaise are listed first (at least that is how it is arranged here in Europe). You won't find a lot of egg and really good oil in real "supermarket mayonnaise" anymore, and certainly not in those salads for bread.@@fazioliu1526
Regarding nr. 2. If you're interested in buying organic food, whichever reason. You'll notice that in the AH supermarket, they'll have a LOT of products that are labeled with the "Bio" label, they actually have a membership option to get 10% off on ALL products labeled "Bio" year round, this membership costs 10 euros a year, if you buy Bio products regularly, you'll probably earn those 10 euros back within a month or 2, so you're basically purchasing those products with a 10% discount for 10 out of 12 months this way.
Of course if you don't buy organic products, then it's not much use.
It is 12 euros a year, it saves not only on organics but also on the AH ‘terra’ brand, and you get incredible personal offers that sometimes saves you 67% (buy one get two free) on non organic items such as dishwasher tablets, laundry detergent etc. The more expensive items) only with that card. It saves me (I’m living alone) around 300 euros a year because of those big savings. There is no limit and you can even get a raincheck.
#1: If you find the fresh bread shelves depleted, grab some rolls from the pre-baked section (afbakbroodjes). Whether it’s rolls or croissants, French bread or ciabattas, they are usually pretty good.
Albert Heyn used to have *killer* pre-baked Surinam rolls… that was my breakfast for a decade or so, but somehow they were discontinued. I still hate AH for that decision to this day.
Yes! totally agree, afbakbroodjes are a bit more work but totally worth it. They also come pretty cheap if you buy the cheap ones (duh) wich are also fine.
They were discontinued because there was nothing Surinamese about them. As a Surinamese person myself I can confirm.
@@ranupaltantewari4796 They could have called them “petrified baby alien rolls” for all I care, they tasted good :)
From 1 January on, sugary drinks like cola and Fanta will get an extra 17 cents per liter 'sugartax', also something to keep into account!
and on vegan drinks/milks too
this is of course not related in any way to the actual amount of sugar in the product. It's just called that becouse it excludes milk (the animal kinds anyways) and water. Cola zero. Sugar free ice tea and other no sugar drinks are still included.
Biggest shock for foreigners is that they can't use a creditcard when paying for the groceries. Have seen plenty of times that they had to leave the store to get cash as they didn't have anything else as a creditcard
Albert Heijn is currently rolling that option out. but in the Netherlands using creditcards is more a novelty. Debit was/is the norm. or now just paying with your phone. but still that is based on that same debit card.
I'm an expat living in the Netherlands too. I use the orange juice machine all the time...like at least 3 times per week...sooo much better...just take an empty bottle from the shelf next to it, fill it up and scan the bottle at the checkout
You have different kinds of juice. Even when you pick one from the refrigerator section. Some of them are ‘fresh kinds’ (unpasteurized), some of them are made of concentrated juice, some of them are made of fresh juice but pasteurized and some of them are called drink or nectar (which means there has to be at least 50% juice in it).
So check the label if you want to make sure you’re buying 100% (fresh) juice. The fact that they’re in the refrigerator section doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fresh juice, they could be the same as the ones on the shelf.
@@Lars_erik I do have those as well and smoothies, and they're really good, but tbh some of the choices for the mixed fruit ones are a little bit weird for me. My tastes are quite simple and straight forward
FYI just check the Juice machines real good before use. Back in the day when I worked at a supermarket, it was one of my tasks to clean those machines. The times it had not been properly been cleaned before me was way to many.
@@bentheenajax the AH next to me has wipes always next to it so I always check and if dirty I wipe it myself
#10 Those gate are only at the self checkout part of the store. You don't need the receipt when using a "normal" cash register and you can also exit easier at a normal cash register.
If there is haring in the supermarket and you have never tried it. Avoid at all cost, because it is seriously gross! Get it at a stand for a propper experience.
As a Dutchy I completely agree on number 1! I have to share some experiences abroad. In Germany, you can buy all kinds of (heavy) fireworks in the grocery store during the last days of December. They just lie next to cucumbers and other vegetables. In Norway I was in shock for days because of the enormous amounts of fish they were selling (and also because of the high prices). And in the US there were a few things that surprised me: prices with VAT not included, the size of groceries and above all: bagging. The bagging really irritated me 😄
fireworks at the grocery store?!?!
@@buncharted yes, only for three days but you can buy them just like any other item. There are thousands of Dutch people crossing the border during those days just to buy fireworks at German Aldi, Lidl, Rewe and other grocery stores.
What do you do with your plastic bottles in America, no recycling? Or recycling without the 15 cents?
Wonder how aware people are of importance of recycling in America.
@@answilbrink8934 depends per State, some are better at it, some are worse. but in general much worse than europe
@@buncharted Guns at Wallmart???!
"Fresh" bread is more or less a religion here in the Netherlands, and I think in much of Europe. Many people still go specifically to the "warme bakker" (warm bakery) which still bakes artisan bread on a daily basis. But also in the super market people want freshly baked bread. Which implies that they can't bake for the next day, because then it won't be "fresh" anymore... To they would have to throw the surplus out at the end of the day, which of course is a costly waste.. So they always produce just about enough bread for the day...
Both Albert Heijn and Jumbo do now offer people the option to buy 1 day old bread under the name Overblijvers. with a heavy discount. redosing the waste even more.
The salads are mainly to put on Melba toast (or other varieties). If you have people over and want to offer them some snacks, get a box of Melba toast, 1 or 2 good salads, pre-make them in the kitchen, put them on a plate or cutting board and serve with a nice wine or beer. You can eat the leftover salad spread for lunch the next day on bread.
my dad (US) used the plastic grocery bags for the dog poop 😄
Op cream crackers smeren is het lekkerst!
Talking about *good* things: I love the hand scanners that you can pick up at some Jumbo's. You take one at the shop entrance, and any time you put an item in your cart you scan it yourself. The scanner always shows you the current sum to pay, and lets you test the price tags also. And at the checkout you simply give the cashier the little scanner, usually they only have a quick look at your items, you pay and you're done. So great. 😂
So, forget the supermarket bread, it;s all bad or mediocre at best. find a good bakery and buy the bread, maybe try a few types and once you found your favourite you can just every week buy the same, the bakery will soon know your pattern and you can arrange that they always keep your stuff reserved (if you indeed become a regular) This especially works great if you don;t mind using the freezer, then you don;t have to go that often. And in my experience, great bread thaws fine.
As someone who works in a grocery store. In the store I work at you can request a certain bread to be kept aside for you. So if you have work and do groceries afterwards you still can have the bread you like. Or if it is a bread that is just out really quickly. Little tip, ask your local store if you can request this.
works with every product. I work at the Albert Heijn and always tell guest that if something is not in stock to always order it at the infodesk. The more if that product is on sale that week. that item will be on that price even if you would pick it up on the Monday after the sale ended.
@@sirBrouwer I said bread becausr they were talking about that. I work in a Plus and it also is with all the product, you just need to talk with a worker from the department.
@@yvetteb2670 i should have frazed that differently. My comment is as much as more aimed at every one in general. As there are still a lot of people that are not aware of this.
Those salads are not just egg based salads, they can be any kind of mix of eggs and / or vegetables, cheese, meats, fish and some even contain some fruit. They are an easy bread topping or used as a more festive spread for “toastjes”, which I guess would translate as canapés.
I usually buy the frozen raspberries and blueberries as they are much cheaper and taste the same in my yoghurt 😊
Also great in a smoothie.
Love the fresh oj!!! And you don't have to have a juicer at home. The spreads originally were there for toasts (small dried breads) to have at your wine... but then we learned to love it on our bread!
Please try the orange juice machine! It’s so fun, I always get it when I make a fancy brunch for my boyfriend. The juice is also waaaaay more tasty than the conserved ones, and the machines are a pain to clean for the staff (which they have to do anyway) so we may as well use them!
That is a nice list, and all very recognizable. I am Dutch and I am used to all these quirks, but I can imagine that there are many differences that may feel weird.
One of the weirdest things I find always true in The Netherlands is that grocery stores are tiny, even compared to other European countries. In France, you can find huge grocery stores just outside of a small village. Of course, that huge store will have to serve 4 whole villages, but they have everything you would ever need, and more. In contrast, I like that I have 4 smaller supermarkets to choose from in a 2 km radius from my home, and they all have their own upsides and downsides. If I really need something special, I can accept that I have to travel a bit further while having the convenience of the average supermarket just around the corner.
It's not unusual to have an Albert Heijn XL relatively close, though. But "XL" is more... supermarket size, not Walmart/Costco/Sams whatever people the US have to stock up in home storage. Consider most people will shop fresh a couple of times a week instead. A Canadian friend living in Paris told me she actually gets happy when her food spoils because it means it's real lmao
The advantage of tiny grocery stores is that they can be put anywhere in, like the middle of a "woonwijk" and therefore are easier to get to when it comes to distance and therefore more convenient (hence more local customers) Also the case for people with no cars, smaller wallet, etc. I have 2 AH's where I live within a walking distance of 3 minutes 🙂
These hypermarkets (Auchan comes to mind, like 50 cash registers??) are only suitable for very low density populated areas where everyone owns a car.
I'm happy we don't have them here.
I miss the separate shops for fish, meat, fruit&veg, cheese, bread enough as it is 😢
Albert Heijn did try to have a hypermarkt option back in the 80's (Miro) where you could actually buy everything from cheese to a washing machine.
it did not work.
I think it is because of Nicolas Appert that we have vegetables in pots, which we also call Wecken (from Johann Carl Weck).
the version you see in the supermarket in the Netherlands is more because what Hak did. When they where new on the Dutch marked they imediatly used glass jars as other brands did use cans. back in the early days a lot of canned food had reliability issues. for one you can not see what is inside it.
Glass allowed you to see what was inside. HAK made sure that everything they got would be presented in a transparent glass jar. you could see inside it and so you could see the quality product. If the car did go bad. the lit would pop up in the middle.
Other brand noticed that by using glass Hak got a good reputation (and still does). Other brands just copied Hak.
THNX for the fun video. The fact that we have so many fresh dairy products is also unique.
In most supermarkets you can make a reservation for a certain bread in case it is out of stock. They put it aside for you and make a notice of your name. You tell them at what time you're about to pick it up. The next day you can pick up your bread, even when it's nearly closing time
Some supermarkets in Peru have that orange juice machine, too. My firat year in Amsterdam, I always used the one at Jumbo or Albert Heijn and saw people using them too... not too unusual. I used to press my own oranges in Peru in the mornings, and those Dutch machines are a great convenient substitute for that.
I'm a Dutch person so here is a tip for your Bread problem.
If there is no more fresh bread you can get bread that you can finish in the oven.
You can get all types of buns, french, flat breads and more.
You buy them about 25% done, you come home pre-heat your oven pop them in for about 8/10 min and you have fresh bread.
Enjoy😊
And the stuff in the pre baked section has at least the same amount of preservatives as American bread, if not more. Would not recommend it
@@Someone-somewhere621 no it hasn't and it has a short shelf live.
Don't get me wrong there are sort of bread that is more chemicals than bread but most of them don't.
Love your video and makes me think about stuff I just take for granted. The section of salads and spreads is popular not to put onto breakfast or lunch sandwiches - even though some do - but to serve as a snack to guests in the evening, while they can choose multiple flavours. It's eaten with some toastjes, alongside a bowl of borrelnootjes, while talking, or watching TV. Typical weekend purchase. People will say, oh wow, gezellig, if you serve that. Nice with wine and/ or beer and/ or sparkling water.
My wife orders our breads online from a local bakery on thursday to be picked up on saturday and we never mis out on it. They provided this service a couple of years ago due to great demand of certain types of bread so the gave us the option for online bookings. MARVELOUS!!!!!
A few years ago I often went to a (Dutch) supermarket that has a huge section dedicated to specialty beers and wine. They even have a walk-in fridge so there is a lot of cooled beer available as well. Of course all the snacks that go with it are all found in the same area. Perfect for the enjoying the summer in the nearby park or for weekend, when people buy a few nice beers/wine and snacks like toast, olives and cheese and relax.
walk in fridge? I only have seen those used in Sligro's.
hey guys! cool to see how you see our supermarkten and what you find weird or interesting about them. for the sandwich spread point:
get some melba toast (blue box from the albert heijn) and spread a couple of those 'spreads' on there. we love 'borrelen' here, which is basically drinking, snacks like the melba toast + spreads and some of them are really good :)
Don't forget to also buy some cheese and liver sausage. It's way better then guzzling popcorn when watching a movie or game.
We always use the juice machine! that is awesome.
There are also pomegranate fruit juice machines in some big stores like AH XL or so.
I buy fresh orange juice often.
It tastes great, and prevents many diseases.
I’m new in the Netherlands too and visited an Albert Heijn just an hour or two ago, and didn’t buy anything and wanted to walk out but didn’t have an invoice. Got a few looks when I was scanning around me looking at people and asking how can I go out. Luckily, the cashier saw me and buzzed me out.
Next time exit via the counters where you pay with cash.
We are potatoe crazed...the best potatoe NL based, is the seasonal Opperdoezer Ronde....Clean them good and it will get rid of part of the skin, cook them for about 20 mins. Cool down, cut them in quarters and bake them in oil, possibly with bacon cubes and some pre cooked Brussel Spouts...amazing!!! A nice cooked meatball or Steak on the side makes it perfect. Voila...Dont forget to serve the Dutch mayonaisse with it.....another traditional Dutch dish !
I agree with you on the Opperdoezer Ronde, but I disagree with you on baking them. Just eat them cooked with gravy (or real butter). As for vegetables, I would recommend (white) asparagus.
What I found most bizarre here in Belgium (arrived from the UK 6 years ago) was the bread cutting machine (you can cut your own loaf there in the supermarket), some supermarkets are (a little like Lidl I guess, but to the extreme of that) like a cash and carry (almost like a warehouse of food that you have to unpack and grab from high or very low on the floor). Then , the fresh stuff is packed in a giant fridge (you pass a door with those big plastic panels to keep the cold in, and inside is about 4 degrees and you can select your yoghurt, cheese and in some shops fruits and veg, and exit the room on the other side, to rejoin ‘Normal’ shelving with groceries that don’t get spoilt in the warmer atmosphere. 😅
yes omg the orange juice from the machine is sooo fresh, it's way better than prepacked. it tastes like a fresh orange, so yummy. and with number 10 when I don't buy anything I just walk past the cashier, put my hands a lil' up and say 'I don't have anything" and they nod and you continue walking. so I never have to ask staff
The supermarket in my town (which is small) does orders as well when it comes to bread. You tell them what you want and when you can pick it up. Might be worth checking into.
About the Johma salads: I think they just have a very active marketing department. Every year they come with new crazy variants, probably just to see what sticks. The profits must be very high to be able to pull this off.
So the spreads are actually for on toast. Some people put them on bread in the morning, but it's really unhealthy and super expensive to do that. Most people by them for birthday parties with family. So when it's someones birthday we all sit around a table of food and talk. They usually serve toast or bagette with these spreads and cheese, a bowl of chips, some nuts and some people are serving healthy options such as cucumber, tomatos and cauliflower.
@4:35 "so you can bring it in the train with you" had me in tears. hahhahaha
I used to do fresh squeezed even though it would be better if you recycle the used bottle as well. Then I started thinking about how the whole orange is squeezed, meaning everything. I also tend to buy 'bio', thinking it's worth the extra because of the lesser amount of pesticides absorbed. If I cut down on the sweets and pastries then I'm even money ahead. If, if ... Trick or treat! 🦹♀🐈⬛🥧🍬
Fresh orange juice is indeed different (just try it). Since it is a fresh product, the machine will get most used on Friday and Saturday...
As for the herring; many people walk into a store to get their lunch. For that reason there are things like herring with unions ready to go, yoghurts with separate nuts to add right away.
Imagine you visit any other grocery store than Albert Heyn (AH) while you're here.AH is known as the most expensive. Thanks for being here and opening our eyes and minds, Greetings from Breda, the pearl of the south.
i gotta say as a dutchie, these videos are always fun to watch, because i didn;t know any better than all the stuff is normal :)
the amount of "statiegeld" depends on what youre buying beer bottles cost 0.10 cents small plastic bottles and aluminium cans cost 0.15 cents and the large 1.0/1.5L plastic bottles cost 0.25 cent
also i have never used the orangejuicing machine myself but i have seen people use it and in some stores its quite popular and i can atleast tell that the smell it gives off when its being used is amazing but idk if the juice itself is actually tastier then the premade stuff in the carton packs
The 1 liter bottles also are 25 ct
@@dutchgamer842 thnx i forgot that one i have edited it incase people dont read the replies
Oops, that's a can of worms! 😉
10. that security gate is only at the 'self checkout'. No, not all Dutch are that law abiding, and you may be subject to a random check by personnel. The regular cash counter is usually the speediest.
9. you are *expected* to return the bottles, otherwise it would defeat the purpose.
Also notice that the return machine offers you the option to donate the statiegeld for a good cause. Typically Dutch.
6. grocery stores offer a lot of 'gemaksvoedsel', like the prepared potato dishes and the orange juice.
The orange juice in containers almost always contain additives. The self service orange juice machine of course doesn't do that. That freshly pressed orange juice is obviously meant for direct consumption.
5. prepackaged herring is an abomination. Period. It is already days old after packing, and of course contains additives.
Fresh herring from the fish stall is usually cleaned and prepared moments ago.
4. the salads you show are from the expensive top brands. Again lots of additives.
You better go for the 'home style' supermarket's own. Or buy it freshly made at the local butcher or delicatessen.
3. glass jars. The only reason I know of is that the Dutch like to see what they buy.
There is hardly any difference in quality between fresh vegetables and those in jars or can.
Using fresh and preparing it yourself will always be more environmental friendly.
1. fact! Regularly bums me out too.
Dutch law prohibits preservatives in daily fresh bread. If the grocery store is sold out of fresh bread the next best option is the pre-backed bread. 6 minutes in a pre-heated oven and you have great crispy bread. Also very nice with egg salad. 🤣
Regarding #1: You can place (periodic) bread orders in almost every supermarket! Then, you can walk up to the bakery section and ask about your order, and bring it along.
The reason (probably) why we have those salads (for on the bread) is because most Dutch people get bread as lunch :). Oh and i don’t think they are all egg based. Most of them I believe don’t have egg in them.
The worst thing about shopping in the USA in general (also food shopping) is the pricing. You never know how much you are going to pay at the register. Because of the taxes. It must be nice for you guys to actually see how much things cost here and how much you are going to need to pay! (Apart from statiegeld 😂)
is there no statiegeld in the USA?
@@Suzanne-goes-Carnivorei am kinda confused as well because you see guys collecting soda cans in movies same tv shows. I always assumed it was for statiegeld
The OJ machines are nice to use if you’re after a fresh juice for immediate consumption - you won’t find a fresher option anywhere (unless you squeeze your own oranges at home of course). But the best machines are the pomegranate ones: nothing beats the flavour of a bottle of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. Unfortunately those machines feature less frequently, and even if they is one, it’s sometimes shut down because the store was unable to source a large enough supply of pomegranates. But still highly recommended if you should encounter a working one. 😊
Agreed on the freshly squeezed pomegranate juice!
The bloody bottles do leak though 😤
(At least the local Jumbo ones)
I love hearing about my country from people from abroad. Keeps the experience fresh. 😁
When the supermarket opens go to the orange juice machine, wait till 11:00 and the look at it again. Same with the coffee machine (iwl😅)
I use the fresh orange juice machine and yes it's a ton better.
Isn't that machine more of a AH thing? They got Coffee too..
@@eddys.3524Jumbo has them too
@@eddys.3524 No Jumbo also have them and you even see them at smaller stores. the smaller once often still use the older generation. (those where a nightmare to clean)
Those little salads are nice and that vega kip kerrie is amazing. I eat it on bread or crackers often for breakfast/lunch/ snack. But usually they are also on the table during parties at home or sometimes when having guests over as a snack on all kinds of toast or crackers. It's not only egg though. In my family we usually make a big batch of egg salad ourselves and buy a few other options at the store so our guests have options when there is a party.
The bread is quite logical because daily fresh bread has by definition need to be fresh, yesterdays bread is not fresh but old bread! So the supermarkets know exactly how much bread is sold daily and to avoid waste won’t stock more then what they can sell.
Haha, I use those machines. If you want a little bottle of juice, it is quite easy. I love the way you look to our grocery stores. It is so nice to watch your video's about my country.
Long time ago there was one item that took me by surprise, most of all because it was on sale at Aldi, euphemistically called 'a massage staaf'. 😂
haha i’m guessing it’s uh… multi purpose? 😂
They have those at the jumbo now too!
Even at the HEMA 🤣🤣👍!!
Hmmm HEMA worst als die nog bestaat ,de laatste keer dat ik NL was is meer dan twintig jaar geleden🥳🥳
what we do is buy a few packs of (afbak broodjes) half baked bread from Lidl (we like them most) in case we are late or didnt buy bread, this way we have fresh baked bread instead or we use our bread maker to make it fresh.
Supermarkets try to get as much bread out as people will buy to avoid over stock, and if they have too much that didnt sell they sometimes discount it as (brood van gisteren) that many will buy because you dont need fresh bread for everything, we occasionally buy 1 day old bread for making crumbs to use in burgers or making toast for example. i even have seen my supermarket giving them away to people coming from voedselbank to pick it up, one day old bread is not really old, 100% still good for a day or two
hahahaha, iedereen helemaal los over die toastjes! Mooi man
Your pronunciation of goedemorgen is getting impressively good 👍
As for the orgnic/better products stuff I'm still sceptical; as a kid the cheapest toiletpaper that was around was the grey hard paper we called sand paper, often around in school and public toilets. So a coiple of months ago I was at my local AH and they didn't have my regular double layered soft toilet paper and I thought ok, I'll just buy the organic/non bleached/recycled whatever paper this time. Big mistake! and a total throwback to my childhood, it was that same sandpaper and it even cost a euro more then luxury paper I normally buy ... smh!
6:10 I usually buy my veggies fresh so (again) I'm not at all an expert in this domain, but for some of those jarred products there are canned variations for sure. For example it's the case for the peas that you show in the video. To my knowledge, in general the canned stuff will last longer, but this usually comes at the cost of being less tasty, which explains the price differences as well. Another example is soup in bags vs. in cans, you'll see both variations from Unox and the likes often next to each other in the supermarket. Or coconut milk in cartons vs. cans.
If it's particularly the glass jars that weird you out, I can imagine it's just practical to have something sturdy that can be closed tight again if you don't necessarily want to use it all in one go. I'd say it's pretty common throughout Europe though, and places outside of it as well (you see them in Turkish supermarkets a lot as well for example), so it's actually surprising for me that it's so alien to you :)
I laughed a lot on this one. Thank you. Very recognizable 😆
I love Johma salads! They're my go to thing to eat on a sandwich, my favorite is the Oudekaas flavor. I guess salads are kind of a hack for dutch people to have interesting sandwiches, because we traditionally just tend to eat single slice, single ingredient sandwiches (if you can even call it a sandwich at that point) for breakfast and lunch so if you make your single topping a salad you drastically increase the number of ingredients lol.
The bottle deposit reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Kramer and Newman made the drive from New York to Michigan to deposit cans and bottles as it's at least 10 cents in Michigan as opposed to 5 cents in New York. So if Seinfeld was made now and the two saw this, they'd fly to the Netherlands with just the cans and bottles for the huge payout! 🤪
That would not work, as they only pay back on bottles the deposit was payed. Bottles from other countries more often than not are slightly different, and then no deposit is returned.
It worked in the beginning though…. In Germany they used the same bottles as here, but they did not ask for deposit. Over here one got back the deposit (you did not pay in Germany).
Later they fixed that (sadly enough). It was still in the Guilder period (before the Euro). Around ‘95. I worked in Germany then, returned quite often with empty German coke bottles and cas one guilder for each bottle. I earned hundreds of guilders back when.
Security gates weren't common when I was living in NL. It might be a local thing. When the 'self service market' idea was first launched, police protested and warned it would cause a hausse in shoplifting. And guess what, it did! Ever since, the police have been a little unwilling to deal with shoplifters. In their view the shop keepers are the ones that tied the cat to the bacon, and they should be arrested for enticement to theft.
Turns out only 10% of shoplifting is done by customers. 40% is done by suppliers, by not delivering the agreed upon (and paid for) quantities, which seems odd given that most supermarkets are part of a chain and get supplied from that chain's depots. 50% of all shoplifting is done by the shop's own personel.
Stay away from 'verse friet'. They're refrigerated, sure, but after harvesting, processing, sending them to the chain's depots, then from there to the shop and your refrigerator, they may be a week old before they're finally served as a meal. That's not fresh. Frozen fries are deep frozen the minute they are processed and still contain all vitamins. That's right, they're healthy. You may have noticed that frozen fries have nutriscore 'A'. They're just carbohydrates, which fits an active lifestyle (like riding bikes a lot) and depending on how you fry them and what sauces you add, there's nothing wrong with them. Most of our vitamin C comes from potatoes, though that has mostly to do with amount of them we eat.
I think the juicer is mostly used by the shop itself, making fresh juice every morning and putting it in those little bottles.
There is such a thing as pickeled herring, but that's not the one you buy with onions. The typical flavour from 'raw' herring comes from the fact that at the moment of 'kaken' (removing the head and innards) the pancreas is left behind, the remaining juices of which then start digesting the herring itself. The result - apart from the ripe taste - is that the herring doesn't need additional processing to be edible, and that it is actually easier to digest. Docters would recommend feeding herring to the sick and the poorly, because it takes less energy from the body to digest than meat or other fish. You'll still need to drink a lot (digesting meat also takes a lot of water) which is explained by afficionadoes as 'Vis moet zwemmen.' (Fish has to swim.)
We also eat herring on (white) bread, btw.
The salads aren't all egg salads, but they are usually mayonaise based. And this gets really bad, some brands are little more than flavoured mayo. I'd prefer to make them myself. Beef, tuna, and surimi-salad are the staples next to egg. AH makes 'eitje-preitje' (egg&leek) which isn't bad, but they also have 'fresh' veggie spreads with a modest amount of oil. Beet & cashew is my favourite.
The glass jars are traditional. People would preserve their surplus harvest in glass jars (using a lot of salt and special heating techniques). The very first conservatives sold in shops were homemade by the shop owner and his family, and when factories took over, canning hadn't been invented yet. We ourselves are used to it, and prefer it over cans which we don't really trust, because they need a protective layer on the inside to keep the metal from interacting with the contents and rusting from the inside out. (Glass is inert.) But expats, immigrants and seasonal workers also highly appreciate them, because they can simply see what's inside without struggling with the language and the not always helpful pictures on the cans.
If you plan on reusing the jars, HAK has the best lids.
Organic vegetables are usually branded with 'ECO'.
In Belgium there are vending machines for both bread and - in more rural areas - potatoes.
Google rolmops. Picked hering with gurking and onions. Sold mostly in jars
just came here to say XD while yes there are eggsalats. MOST of them are 100% nothing to do with egg. there is a "komkommersalade" cucumber salade. verry nice and refreshing. their is meats and veggies and fish. we love them on bread or toast. mostly at birthday parties you will also see them :)
Always fun hearing perfectly normal stuff isn't normal.
Tip: you can buy ore baked bread in packs and fi ish them in your oven or combination microwave at home. Little bit more expensive but delicious and goes very well with brood salades.
My Dutch bf was addicted to drinking orange juice at some point so every time we went to the store we would get at least 2 big bottles from the orange juice machine!! The machine is super easy and intuitive to use! And the store staff clean it every evening about 1 hour before they close. So if you go shopping very late it might already have been cleaned, just keep that in mind :p
it's a commond habit here in The Netherlands (Holland) mixing fresh orange juice with raw salted herring and dryed marihuana.
Thats not true😂
Michelle's handmove in the beginning...😂😂 I love your humor so much❤️
i loveee the fresh orange juice machine, everytime i go in in tempted by the smell if someone has just used it
I DEFFINATELY have a "hankering" for fresh herring. All of the time. I could be woken up at 2 in the morning and enjoy eating one.
Since i live in Austria, i really miss dutch supermarkets. But one thing i really love are the fresh meat counters here. The workers not only sell you slices of meat or cheese and pre made rolls with different toppings, but they also prepare you fresh rolls or any other fresh bakery goods like ciabatta or croissants, with any meat or cheese they sell, you can often also add salads, cucumber, gurkins, tomatoes and design your own sandwich nearly like in a subway restaurant. They also have hot food like mini schnitzels, sausages, sometimes even raosted pork or grilled chicken, american bagels, hamburgers, dumplings with sauerkraut, pizza, etc. Here in Vienna many people go twice a day to a supermarket, first for breakfast before work and then during lunchbreak. The top seller here is the "Käsleberkässemmel". A mighty roll with a finger wide slice of freshly baked and hot, super fine minced meatloaf with small pieces of molten Emmentaler cheese, topped with some Mustard or Ketchup. These deli counters are standard in our supermarkets and a thing i surely would miss if i leave Austria ever again.
The sandwiches also include Tuna / Salmon / celeriac (really nice/fresh) / Chicken with curry sauce etc.... what I really like about it is that you can make you / your kids sandwiches in 3 seconds (no butter needed either) 🙂 And the diversity
The fresh OJ is the best! I usually buy it in summer, so refreshing! Especially when you leave it in the fridge for an hour or two.
This was definitely filmed at one of the megastores in a highly urban environment. Note that only the western part of the Netherlands is like that. And besides: why compare? There is no right or wrong, just different. Enjoy the differences! They make life so much more interesting. ❤ from a "Dutchie"
For your bread problem: you can also call in the morning and ask if they can set some aside for you so you can pick it up in the evening. Also, if you are always shopping at say, thursdays at 6pm you can make a recurring order for pick-up at the bread section.
Orange juice machine I use mostly in the very early morning before I go to work. And in the weekend sometimes if I prepare a ‘Dexter’ kind of breakfast, with bacon, eggs, croissants, etc. I really appreciate a freshy made orange juice then😃 Love your videos✌🏻
The fresh orange juice machine is fun to use and it's obviously a great taste, but you can't keep it for too long, the ones in the fridge expire not as fast.
The fresh juices start to ferment after just a couple of days. That may not seem that bad, but I like to bring them to work, and you really don't want fermented drinks when your handling dangerous machinery.
I just got back from Japan a few weeks ago, and litterally NO ONE was drinking orange juice. We travelled through Japan, and I don't think I even SAW it once anywhere. So orange juice drinking is probably a seasonal thing there. Which is awesome. We need to consume more seasonal fruit and veg.
5:42 I do recommend getting a cut stokbrood to dip in the kip kerrie pikant. :)
I have often used the orange press, it is a popular device here in Nijmegen. There are many types of fruit juices on the shelves, but they have been processed to have a longer shelf life. The orange juice press is a great device, gives you really fresh juice with fresh vitamins, is not processed and tastes better.
like 40 years ago, there was a lot of canned vegetables. but they were also often overcooked in the preserving stage of producing.
the glass jar was in the beginning just a slightly more luxury item with less addities (like salt or suger)
glass jars just became the standard because they tasted better. Also we have a very wide spread network for glass recycling. close to 80% of all glass is recycled.
Still contain more sugar than frozen.
7:06 the glass jars also make it easier to use if you don't use the vegetable up in one go (obviously they don't last super long after opening, but certainly longer than in an opened can)
The fresh orange juice is really delicious, and fun to pour in the bottle 😊
We use the fresh OJ machine on a weekly basis in the NL, delicious, no preservatives added.