Last week, twenty students from four practical schools in The Hague competed during the ‘Haagse Hap competition’ for a spot on the Hague Freedom Meals menu.
After an afternoon of cooking, tasting and presenting, the jury selected three winning dishes that will be served this year alongside the Freedom Soup. The Hague Hap competition is part of the Hague Freedom Meals. The Hague Freedom Meals bring people together at the dining table on 5 May to celebrate our freedom and to discuss it.
Winning dishes
The jury had a tough job but chose the following three winning dishes:
- Pumpkin pancake by Kizza & Kezia Paulo (Praktijkschool De Einder), based on a family recipe from Curaçao.
- Pastechi with vegetarian minced meat from Elier Cervantes Bishop (Praktijkschool De Poort), an Antillean classic in a sustainable guise.
- Cold pasta salad by Defne Milanova & Mahla Ebrahimi (Johan de Witt College), a fresh and colorful combination of vegetables and pasta.
These dishes are served as a side dish during the big ‘Meal of the City’ in the Atrium of the city hall. Around 500 residents of The Hague will taste these dishes.
The jury consisted of gourmets Appie el Massaoudi (National Committee 4 and 5 May), JM Fuego (musician) and Rosa Hagen and Lotte Holtappels (caterer Haagse Hapjes). The competition was presented by Umit C. The jury not only tasted all the delicious food that was served to them, but also judged whether the dishes went well with the Freedom Soup that is served during the meals. In addition to the competition element, the competition also focused on connection: cooking with attention, listening to each other’s stories, and tasting each other’s culture together.
The Hague Snack Competition
The Hague Hap competition involves young people from The Hague in a very accessible way with the theme of freedom and connectedness. In this way, they become part of the Hague Freedom Meals. Because cooking and eating together connects.
Eighty years of freedom with 80 meals through the city
In addition to the large ‘Meal of the city’ in the Atrium, this year there will be no less than 80 meals spread throughout the city. This is a way to celebrate that we have been able to live in freedom for 80 years. In every district of The Hague, our freedom will be commemorated in this way. So there is always a place to join on Monday 5 May.
Visit www.haagsevrijheidsmaaltijden.nl /aanschuiven for an overview of all locations.
Photo: Iris Duvekot. Kizza and Kezia’s winning pumpkin pancakes