Hacker News Reader

Comment by VeejayRampay | Hacker News Reader

very poor quality though, if you've had dutch tomatoes or peppers, you'll know

I'd be interested in the nutritional value of said products as well

Yep, the tomatoes coming from Spain, Italy, etc have a lot more flavor. NL is more like the Shenzhen of agriculture (not saying it like it's a bad thing)

There is nothing like driving from the Netherlands to Germany, going to the Supermarkt and buying cucumbers branded Origin Netherlands at 60% of their price in the Netherlands...

https://northerntimes.nl/dutch-shoppers-flock-to-german-supe...

Germany is the black hole of supermarket prices. Even shit made in Austria is cheaper once you cross the border to Germany than in the country where it's made. It's insane.

The single market at work, and such a small amount of a product's cost is from making it. I am always sad about not being near an internal EU border for this reason. (though, if my time were worthless, I'd probably come out ahead buying plane tickets)

I lived near an internal EU border and I can confirm - you can get the best of two countries ! I guess over time the differences in EU should diminish, but it will take decades.

Not disagreeing here, but how I understand it, the year-round availability of fresh produce is a quality trade-off.

though Tomatos can be bought in cans with lots of better taste

Yeah it's because in Holland they grow them in cotton buds sprayed with nutrients. It minimises the chance of plant diseases and it's much easier to harvest but it loses taste. The Germans call the Dutch tomatoes Wasserbomben. Meaning water bombs.

Well they say what tastes good goes to France. What looks good goes to Germany.

Germany, to me, seems like the most mimetic food culture there is. In general, it’s all appearance, no substance.

But they look incredible on the shelves!

A uniform color and consistent geometric shape is all that matters. Taste is redundant. Carrots are orange because the Dutch bred them that way.

Taste is more than redundant. It's is a temptation towards gluttony. You wouldn't want your food tempting you to sin, would you?

Oh my God, does this explain Dutch cuisine?

I thought Dutch cuisine was explained by the former use of calories to substitute for lack of cheap central heating; considering the thickness of the table "cloths", even the furniture must be freezing in winter?

(mmmm... rijsttafel... must. avoid. temptation.)

Huh I had not made that connection between the food and central heating. Maybe this is why every cold draft feels like an admonition to keep active. Wouldn't want to be slothful...

Regardless, the heating situation has fostered an outstanding coffee culture completely at odds with the cuisine.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com