In my early student days, I lived above a typical Amsterdam street market. Six days a week at daybreak the stalls were set up with an assortment that consisted mostly of Dutch vegetables and fruits, cheap clothing and Dutch cheese.
The street was inhabited by Amsterdam residents who, like my upstairs neighbors, had often lived there for over forty years. But more and more residents of non-Dutch descent were arriving in the neighborhood.
This took some getting used to for the market vendors (mostly men) who didn't like their fruit being pinched and customers trying to haggle. Both pinching and haggling being very un-Dutch activities.
’Blijf met je poten overal van af. Ik zit toch ook niet aan jou?’ (Keep your paws off everything. Do you see me touching you?) the potential customer would be told in a half-joking tone.
On top of that, the men always tried to recruit me as an ally in their dislike of newcomers and their unwelcome habits.
Therefore, I preferred going to the more expensive supermarket around the corner, rather than shopping at my own cheap street market out front.
After some wanderings, I now live not far from this same market. And as it underwent a huge metamorphosis, it has become one of my favorites. Still a neighborhood market, but now displaying a more diverse offering in food as well as in vendors, and by the weekend a bevy of food trucks with international delicacies, from Turkish gözleme to Brazilian bolinhos de bacalhau.
At fish stall Volendammer Vishandel a non-native woman with a baby on her belly orders Hollandse Nieuwe and kibbeling in her best possible Dutch. The fishmonger is impressed. ‘Wat goed van je, schat! Echt heel knap, hoor.’ (How good of you, love! Very clever)
A small conversation ensues in Dutch about how difficult she finds the language, but how she does her utter best to learn to speak it because she lives here and her baby was born here.
When the woman is ready to pay, the fishmonger grabs an extra herring from his display case. ‘Hier, schat. Krijg je van mij. Voor de kleine. Omdat je onze moeilijke taal leert. (This one’s on me, love. For the little one. Because you learn our difficult language)
The woman is overwhelmed by this act of kindness.
As she is set to walk away, he adds: ‘Blijf maar lekker allemaal hier, hoor. Hoe meer, hoe gezelliger.’ (Stay right here in the Netherlands, all of you. The more, the cozier)
Sure, I am Always Talkin’ Food, but I teach NT2 (Dutch as a second language) on the side. Mainly to young internationals who came to Amsterdam for or with love and intend to stay. For privacy reasons the names in these columns are fictitious.
Straatmarktlingo
De marktkoopman/de marktkoopvrouw - market vendor
De visboer - fishmonger
De marktkraam - market stall
Afdingen/pingelen - haggling
De kibbeling - deep fried chunks of cod in a light batter
De Hollandse Nieuwe - Dutch new herring
De Ten Katemarkt
This neighborhood street market from 1912 is now a showcase of global foods. Especially during weekends, when food trucks sell a variety of international snacks. Apart from - of course - the friendly fishmonger, one of my favorites is Istanbulgozleme020, where a Turkish woman sells gözleme (stuffed flatbread) made à la minute on the saç (hot plate). The one with spinach, leek and feta is the bestseller and rightly so. Before the woman hands it over to you, she’ll ask if you want some butter on top. You do.
Istanbulgozleme020, Ten Katemarkt Amsterdam. Open: Tue-Sat 10 AM-5 PM.