Dutch Cycle Adventure - Day 3 - Almere to IJsselmuiden

Dutch cycle adventure Day 3 We cycled from our B&B in Almere to IJsselmuiden via Harderwijk where we stopped for a fish lunch extravaganza and then onto our destination after visiting IJsselmuiden for the evening and back to the B&B in Kampen

[@urbandiscount]

great routing. Thank you for so appreciating the Hanseatic cities along the IJssel.

[@hikebikepaddle]

@@urbandiscount it was very interesting for me. im back over in a week

[@marccccelllccccccc]

thanks gentleman for showing the dutch crown jewels smoked paling and makreel

[@hikebikepaddle]

you are welcome!

[@vanderquast]

your beautiful cycle vlogs should deserve much more views 😉 I really enjoyed them and looking forward to the next episodes. Greetings from the Netherlands🌷

[@hikebikepaddle]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@marcvanMaanen]

nice trip it looks like. From new land, Almere was founded in 1975 (Flevoland was water until the 60s / 70s) to the old land of Kampen and Harderwijk 🙂

[@hikebikepaddle]

great insight, thanks 🙏

[@ageoflove1980]

Kampen is really an underrated town and one of the most beautiful in the country. Its history its different than the traditional Dutch cities in the west of the country. Its older because it was part of the Hanseatic League, just like other towns along the IJssel river like Deventer. Also culturally its interesting as most people are very strict old school Protestant. Also, love that you guys are enjoying the fish and appreciating the smoked eel for the delicacy that it is. The fatter the fish is, the better suitable for smoking and eel is just king in that regard. Too bad its so expensive nowadays, but its a good thing the species gets the protection it needs.

[@hikebikepaddle]

Thanks for your kind comment. im back in holland cycling in a few weeks. I cant wait to

[@ageoflove1980]

@@hikebikepaddle Good luck with the weather ! :)

[@hikebikepaddle]

Thank you 🙏

[@aerosnake77]

Good job peeling that eel :)

[@hikebikepaddle]

Thanks 🙏

[@lbergen001]

Again, a lovely video👍👍. You passed true some historic towns.

[@hikebikepaddle]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@JulesStoop]

Smoked eel is the best! Did you know that in one point of history (I believe early 18th century) eel fisher from the villages of Heeg and Woudsend in Friesland were the only ones allowed to trade eel with England? These trading fishermen had their own piece of harbour quay in London and used to ship the eels alive in half open holds below the water line of their trade ships. The eels were then processed (smoked) and sold on this very quay. These eels would however have changed considerably in taste due to their exposure to salt water during the crossing. So London eel-whilst being imported from Frisian lakes near what’s nowadays the IJsselmeer region in the Netherlands-didn’t taste all that similar to dutch smoked eel in Friesland.

[@hikebikepaddle]

Thats really interesting to know. I love all things smoked and if you're interested I have another channel dealing with smoking and curing czcams.com/channels/FBRfOQ4pvhnu-zfc9HDJmA.html

[@urbandiscount]

at least one famous pie and eel shop was founded by a family from Heeg, e.g. the Noted Pie and Eel House

[@rmyikzelf5604]

The herring is not smoked. It is not raw either, but (if done traditionally) not too heavily brined and then left to ferment in the enzymes of its own pancreas, which is initially not removed when the fish is first gutted straight after it was caught. In my youth the pancreas would only be removed when you bought it at a 'haringkar'. These days I rarely see that anymore, so I wouldn't be surprised if the process has changed (and the fermentation was cut or cut short) to cater for faster turnover and quick profits. I would be sad. I do feel (no proof) at least some herring tastes different than it used to.
Smoked eel (gerookte paling) is the bees knees, though. Not very environmentally friendly (no-one has succeeded in 'farming' them, without relying on 'glass eels' from the wild, as far as I am aware due to their rather remarkable reproduction cycle that takes them thousands of miles across the earth, and is ever more hampered by human-built obstacles) , but they taste sooo good.

[@hikebikepaddle]

they do indeed . thanks for sharing your thoughts 👍

[@aorta538]

That eel, you can scrape the fat from the inside of the skin with a spoon or your teeth...! 🤗

[@hikebikepaddle]

Thats what makes the smoked eel so delicious. That layer of fat combined with the smoke is sublime.

[@pieterzuiddam]

Only one eel?

[@hikebikepaddle]

I could have eaten more 😂

[@RealConstructor]

I can almost write the same comment as I did at Day 2. It is IJsselmuiden, not Ijsselmuiden. The IJ is seen as a letter in Dutch, pronounced like the English eye and muiden means mouth, so mouth of the river IJssel.

[@hikebikepaddle]

Thank you for the correction 👍

[@rmyikzelf5604]

Yep, it's a strange letter the Dutch IJ.😂