Sawt Falasteen - Pea soup, veggie mash contest warms up Dutch winter

The traditional split-pea soup and vegetable mash have been staples of the Dutch diet for decades, served at winter markets or enjoyed by families after a long day of skating.

At the annual championships in Groningen, amateur and professional chefs from the Netherlands and beyond compete for the top prize in both categories -- a coveted silver ladle.

Henk de Haan, 63, throws onions and carrots into a pan -- essential ingredients in snert, a thick soup made with winter vegetables and pork, typically finished off with slices of Dutch smoked sausage.

Event manager De Haan has been taking part in the contest for years and never won anything, but this time he has a "secret weapon" -- jalapeno peppers.

"I think they will never forget my soup," he told AFP.

Gina Olthoff, 49, who works with disabled people, is sticking to a more traditional recipe passed down by her mother and grandmother.

"It's a regular snert with a lot of meat and a lot of vegetables, a lot of everything," she said.

- Stiff competition -

As the chefs slave over their pots, five judges patrol the aisles with clipboards, making notes on their recipes and techniques.

The bouillon used as a base for the soup can be made in advance, but everything else must be prepared on site.

The soup is only considered successful if a spoon can stand completely upright when placed inside the pot -- giving a new meaning to the phrase "stiff competition".

"First we look at the ingredients -- the bouillon, the vegetables," said Flang Cupido, 63, a cookery teacher taking part as a judge for the fourth time this year.

After the soup is served, the judges will give ratings for "the taste, the smell, the texture", he said.

"We're really looking for a special one with a good taste. And original, with maybe extra ingredients."

Another judge, John Spruit, 58, previously worked at the Coperto restaurant in Zwolle, recognised with a "Bib Gourmand" in the Michelin guide.

Having won the silver ladle himself in 2018, Spruit knows what it takes to make a sensational snert.

"Dutch cuisine is not high-level cuisine -- it's good food. It's always potato, vegetables, meat," he said.

Founded in 1995 as a local contest, the World Snert Championship has since expanded and moved from its pub origins to the professional kitchens of the Alfa-college in Groningen.

- Secret ingredient -

The contest, now run by the Stichting Oud Hollandse Gerechten (the Old Dutch Dishes Foundation), attracts a wide range of participants, from hobby cooks as young as 11 to professional chefs.

In 2001, the competition was expanded to include stamppot -- another traditional Dutch winter dish consisting of mashed potato and vegetables.

The championships are considered a major cultural event in the Netherlands, even featuring special postage stamps with the logo of a ladle and potato masher.

Robin van Laan, 26, took home the top prize for stamppot last year and is hoping for a repeat performance this time with his secret ingredient of pickled onions.

"I make it really nice on the plate, really beautiful. It feels a little bit like a Michelin star (dish). But it's just stamppot," he said.

When all the chefs have finished cooking, the pots and plates are lined up outside the kitchen for the judges to taste before a final decision is made.

The coveted first prize in the snert category this year goes to Arthur Vos, 61, a restaurant owner from the village of Garderen.

Having finished second last year, Vos said he was "very, very proud" to be taking home the silver ladle this time.

"I practiced and practiced and now I'm the first. That's great," he said.

Q.Najjar--SF-PST