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Nutmeg, cinnamon and clove reached Europe through Amsterdam, and it shows in what the Dutch bake.
Why the baking is so spiced
Speculaas, taaitaai, spiced cake and pepernoten all carry a heavy spice mix. Not a coincidence: the spices sat in the warehouses, were relatively cheap, and were therefore used generously.
The chamber cities
The company had six chambers: Amsterdam, Middelburg, Delft, Rotterdam, Hoorn and Enkhuizen. Each had its own yards and warehouses, and those cities still carry the facades that show it.
Nutmeg and Banda
The nutmeg monopoly was established by force on the Banda Islands. The spice in Dutch baking carries a history rarely told beside the biscuit.
What remained
The speculaas spice mix has barely changed in four centuries: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, cardamom, white pepper.
Where to look
Bakeries in the old trading cities, and museums with the warehouses attached.
Where to try it
Places in our directory that serve this
Restaurant in Amsterdam 1233 · Restaurant in Hoorn 89 · Restaurant in Delft 127 · Restaurant in Middelburg 64