‘Inclusion? Get to know each other’s food culture.’

Not so long ago, Jonneke de Zeeuw received a nice compliment from a manager who had been handing out her foodie bags (100% halal, 100% kosher, 100% vegetarian and 85% vegan) to their employees. The international content of the bag had started many conversations, but the main one was about the colleague who had been moved to tears. “As a teetotaller, he had always received wine and sausage and always felt excluded, but this time he was given a gift he could identify with, and that brought back memories of his youth in his homeland. Then I think, ‘Yes, this is why I do it!’” explains Mooncake’s founder.

Queen of Culinary Treasures

That name popped up once when De Zeeuw saw some baked goods at a Chinese shop in her home city of Amsterdam. They turned out to be mooncakes, the traditional cakes of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Today, De Zeeuw is known as Ms Mooncake, alias Queen of Culinary Treasures. The latter actually says everything about her daily involvement with food. She blogs, publishes, gives lectures, talks on radio and television, organises food tours, and makes and delivers foodie bags to order, which can bring a smile or tears of joy to everyone’s face. De Zeeuw, who studied cabaret but quickly started her culinary road trip, says she tells stories.

Indonesian bakso

[caption id="attachment_104065" align="alignleft" width="300"] 'White Dutch people should feel as at home eating Surinamese pom as they do eating hutspot'[/caption] Diversity and inclusion are the binding factors in that story, a hot topic in a world that seems to be increasingly divided. De Zeeuw, who grew up with a love of food thanks to her parents, firmly believes that you can be inclusive if you get to know and appreciate each other’s cuisine. “White Dutch people should feel as at home eating Surinamese pom as they do eating hutspot.” Inclusion is also an enriching experience. This is why she draws attention to cuisines, restaurants and dishes that everyone needs to taste before they leave this world. She says this with a wink, as her story does have a serious undertone. “When I came back to the Netherlands after living, cooking and eating in Israel, Palestine and Jordan for some time, I was surprised at how little attention is paid to other food cultures in the Netherlands. Some 170 nationalities live in Rotterdam, so why are we eating sausage rolls? There are so many places where you can eat Indonesian bakso as you would in Jakarta or a dosa that will melt away any Indian expat’s homesickness.”

Local cook

A rapidly growing number of hungry readers gobble up her culinary tips. Interest from the business market is also rising. One of her famous lectures is called ‘Get hungry with Mooncake, eating your way through the Dutch culinary landscape’. She likes to base her presentations on the cultural mix of the company that invites her. “It’s definitely nice if there are lesser-known cultures in there, because then I can look for a connection using their cuisines. Guests can then taste that one Sudanese dish they won’t find anywhere else. Sometimes, I also work with a local caterer or cook who makes snacks during the lecture. There are so many photos of tasty food that it would be almost inhuman not to serve them anything, ha ha.”

'It’s nice to look for connections when you organise a conference in a specific city. This man brought dishes from his own restaurant for people to try.'

For a lecture in the high-tech city of Eindhoven, she invited someone from India who went from being an expat to a chef. “It’s striking how Indian cuisine is gaining a foothold in Eindhoven. It’s nice to look for connections when you organise a conference in a specific city. This man brought dishes from his own restaurant for people to try.” “As an organiser, you should try to do something nice with the city where you’re invited by elaborating on the theme. A lot of opportunities are being left untapped.” The presence of expats offers those opportunities, she says. You can already see that companies with many international employees hire specialised caterers to meet the demand. “If these employees had to eat the average Dutch canteen fare every day, they’d move back home.”

Diwali foodie bag

Her multicultural foodie bags are popular with a wide range of companies. Orders often come from organisations that prioritise diversity and inclusion and want to share this with their employees and business contacts. “They understand that it’s necessary to fill a bag differently, with products that appeal to everyone”, says De Zeeuw. For example, Caribbean crisps, Indian chai, and, if there’s alcohol in them, Jamaican beer. There are classic foodie bags, aperitif bags and themed bags. Chinese New Year, Diwali or Chanukah? Mooncake has a suitable foodie bag to hand out for every occasion.

Hidden gems

World Press Photo, Netflix and large banking institutions have all tasted her concept. De Zeeuw also takes clients on food tours. She likes to take clients past hidden gems made up of small eateries, exotic supermarkets and local producers. “Sometimes, a company wants to be inspired. For example, a German company that creates artificial flavours wanted to discover new things, so I took them in tow for a day.” Soon, she will travel again, this time to Azerbaijan, to immerse herself in the local food and wine. That knowledge will undoubtedly create a foodie bag or become a lecture. Ultimately, De Zeeuw wants Mooncake to be a melting pot of the entire world. “The cuisine of Bahrain is also on my to-taste list.”