Discoveries at the Jungle: Holland

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Posted: 3/2/2018
Categories: Discoveries at the Jungle

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As you know Jungle Jim’s International Market is a mecca for international foods so we wanted to take Discoveries to Holland this month! Well, Holland and the Netherlands. Many people might be surprised to find out Holland isn’t actually a country itself. It’s actually a region of the Netherlands. But we don’t have to get that nitpicky, even people from the Netherlands sometimes just call the whole country Holland. The Netherlands and Holland have some really cool foods that we can explore this month so that’s a win-win for all!

When you think of Holland we’re sure a few things come to mind: Tulips, windmills, and wooden clogs. What’s the deal with these anyways? Tulips were imported into Holland in the 16th century, but became really popular in 1592 when Carolus Clusius wrote a book on them. It sparked a tulip craze that drove up prices to the point that bulbs were used as currency!

The Dutch have been wearing wooden clogs since the medieval times. They made their shoes out of wood because it offered protection as well as the ease to make shoes for different types of jobs. Today they are just worn for show and tradition, but you can still find traditional clog makers to this day!

As for the windmills, they aren’t there just to look beautiful, they actually serve as pumps for water or energy for mills. Wind power grinds up grains or pumps water from the wetlands into farms. Today there are still thousands of windmills in Holland and some of them are still operational.

When you take a look at the food from Holland you’ll find a lot of dairy products, especially cheese and chocolate. You will also find a variety of delicious baked goods. The Dutch know their sweets! While discovering Holland with us you will get a chance to taste some of the delicious snacks of the region. Let’s explore shall we?