Pictured ambassadors of Thailand, Russia, Hungary, Pakistan, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, India, Afghanistan, Sweden, Peru, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Turkey, together with the Mayor of Delft, Hanos General Manager and Diplomat Magazine publisher.
By Viviana Knorr.
On Saturday 21 May at midday, under Dutch spring sunshine, fifteen embassies and their world-renowned cuisines gathered to spark up their grills, woks, and hotplates, at HANOS Food Wholesaler installations in Delft for the 1st Diplomats Gastronomic Festival.
Ambassadors, diplomats and invitees appeared to savour a unique food scenery full of festive delights initiated by Diplomats Magazine’s publisher Dr. Mayelinne De Lara together with Hanos General Manager, Frans Kieftenbeld, Marloes Mos, Manager and their team.
For a complete album from our photographers Hester Dijsktra and Marian van Noort, please open the following link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/121611753@N07/albums/72157668866183135
Video by Mirza Kamram
”I’m honoured because the ambassadors of Afghanistan, Argentina, Chile, Hungary, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam, supported our idea and made possible the first-ever Diplomats Food Festival in The Netherlands.
I’m proud because today we are building -Diplomat Magazine and the embassies working together with the private sector,- an event that will mark a new way of commercial diplomacy in this country.”, said Dr. De Lara before presenting the fifteen ambassadors to the public.
During the opening ceremony, Mr Kieftenbeld made a visual presentation of Hanos and its multiples departments ”enriched by 116,000 products coming from more than 34 countries”. The Mayor of Delft Mr Bas Verkerk also welcomed everyone to his city and expressed how impressed he was by the authentic attention of the ambassadors and the quality of food exposed.
Each ambassador presented their cuisine, talked about their unique products and invited the guests to seize the opportunity to taste their food and exchange impressions with their chefs.
Cooks and chefs surrounded by plenty chairs and tables with attendees enjoying their freshly made dishes were the perfect frame making the event the place to be for an unparalleled Saturday foodie-fun afternoon.
”It is the highest standard of international gastronomic festival we have ever experienced in the Netherlands, regarding the quality of food, presentation and venue” said a group of attendees.
HANOS 1st Diplomats Gastronomic Festival was overwhelmingly good where participants were walking around and comfortably sample the fantastic dishes that each of the fifteen nations had to offer.
Traditional drink bars were busy with attendees who could sit away and soak up the delicious atmosphere.
Cookery masterclass demonstrations followed after the speeches of each of the ambassadors whose dishes where present: Argentina’s savoury stewed empanadas, Thailand’s elegant night meal Beef Massama by the renowned Iron prized chef Chef, Assoc. Prof. Dr Surachai Jewcharoensakul, Mexico’s rich culinary heritage was delivered by chef Edwin Méndez with a world known Xocolatl mixture established as Mole Poblano.
Turkey followed with an Ottoman favourite nutty Adana Kebab & kunefe, to finally wrap up, with Peru’s delights distinctive touch to highlight thanks to the vastness of the country and its Ceviche by chef Alberto Lara.
Dutch gin from Schiedam, Sweden’s salmon dishes prepared by chef Marcus Johansson, Russian pastries and vodka, Hungary’s millenary wines, sausages, paprika and Quark’s dessert transported us from pre-columbian dishes to current modern fusion flavours thanks to the magic of the ingredients served.
Never the least, Afghanistan, Argentina, Chile, Hungary, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Russia, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Vietnam had an unparalleled array from top wines and the very best of world-know delicacies, to new recipes to discover.
One of the objectives of HANOS 1st Diplomats Gastronomic Festival is to impulse the channels of importers and distributor exchanges between some of the world’s culinary cultures and the Dutch market.
This great event was sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and Diplomatic Card.
Looking forward our Second Diplomats Gastronomic Festival 2017, on Saturday May 20th.
