Frikandel
A frikandel (plural frikandellen) is a Dutch snack, a sort of minced-meat hot dog,[1][2] developed either in 1954 or in 1958/1959 in the Netherlands, depending on the source.
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Overview [edit]
It is a long, skinless, dark-coloured meat sausage which is usually eaten on warm to hot temperature. Unlike most sausages, the frikandel is deep-fried, unless included in a frikandellen broodje, in that case they are finished by baking. In Belgium and in the north of France it is called a "frikadel", "fricandelle" or "fricadelle". In the Flanders region of Belgium, it can also be called "curryworst" (not to be confused with the German Currywurst). In the USA it is called a "Freak" [3] or "Freakandel".[4] Due to the absence of skin, one could argue that it technically is not a sausage. Until 2005, the official way of spelling the name of this sausage in the Dutch language was without an "n" -as frikadel- but now both spelling variants are officially allowed with frikandel being the one most commonly used.[5] Although both spelling variants are correct, there is a slight difference today between a frikandel and a frikadel. In Belgium frikadel means (also raw) minced pork; it seldom contains other meat. A frikadel is actually a sort of meatball (actually the precursor of the frikandel), commonly eaten in Belgium and Germany.
Who created the frikandel is contested. Some state that it was first made by Gerrit de Vries of Dordrecht in 1954, after he wasn't allowed any more to sell his product as a meatball because of a food law. Next he changed the shape and name instead of the recipe. Others say it was first made by Jan Bekkers of Deurne in 1958, and named "frikandel" in 1959 after he founded the Beckers factory. What can be agreed on is that the present recipe with the very fine mince is derived from the 1958 version. The de Vries 1954 sausage, named fricadelle, contained chunkier minced meat as it was essentially a minced meat patty in the shape of a sausage.[6][7]
In the Netherlands, Belgium and Curaçao, the frikandel mainly consists of a mixture of mechanically separated meat of chicken (around 40% or more) and pork (about 25%). In the USA it contains pork (about 50%), beef (about 35%) and non mechanically separated chicken (about 15%). Some manufacturers also add in a few percent horse meat. Other ingredients are bread crumbs, thickener, herbs and spices, onion and flavour enhancers. It is the most popular fast food snack in the Netherlands, followed by the kroket. According to the AKSV (the General Association of Manufacturers of Cooking Supplies and Snacks in the Netherlands) 600 million sausages are produced each year in the Netherlands. Most of these are also sold in the Netherlands which results in more than 37 sausages being consumed per capita per year in this country.[7][8]
Serving [edit]
In the Netherlands, it is most often served with curry ketchup and/or mayonnaise, though some people eat it with tomato ketchup, mustard or even applesauce. Very popular is a frikandel served together with mayonnaise, curry ketchup and chopped raw onion: a frikandel speciaal.[7] The frikandel speciaal usually has a deep cut lengthwise through the middle to provide room for the chopped onions and the sauces. Some people prefer the taste of a frikandel if the cut is made before frying, resulting in a larger crisp surface. Sometimes the sausage is served on a bun and is then called a broodje frikandel.
In Belgium and in the north of France, it is served with any sauce of choice and sold in a variety of ways, for example in a long bun, a piece of baguette, as a kebab or plain and untouched.
Miscellaneous [edit]
Frikandellen can also be included in party-packs together with other Dutch snacks such as bitterballen, although they are significantly reduced in length. They are also often available in holiday resorts abroad which are popular with the Dutch, such as Lloret de Mar.
In the Netherlands, frikandel eating contests are regularly held all over the country. The record for most frikandellen consumed in one hour was set in 2005 by Sjonnie Noordeinde of Delft, consuming 47 sausages of each 80 grams.[9]
In many other countries, including South Africa, Denmark and Germany, frikadel or Frikadelle (not to be confused with frikandel) is the local name of minced-meat meatballs or patties like those used in hamburgers.
References [edit]
- ^ Let's Go. Harvard Student Agencies. 1976. Original from the University of Michigan Digitized Nov 14, 2006.
- ^ Gray, Jeremy (2004). The Netherlands. Lonely Planet. ISBN 1-74059-303-0.
- ^ Dutch The Magazine March–April 2013 issue "[1]"
- ^ The Salt Lake Tribune - Bruges Waffles & Frites "[2]"
- ^ Weblogs NRC "weblogs.nrc.nl/woordhoek/2008/03/26/de-n-in-frikandel De n in frikandel", 26 March 2008
- ^ De Telegraaf, "Frikandel is 50 jaar", 4 februari 2009
- ^ a b c Volkskrant "Wel vet niet cool", 22 March 2004
- ^ Brabants Dagblad "Deurnese vinding de frikandel", 19 February 2009
- ^ http://rtl.nl.msn.com/%28/actueel/rtlnieuws/%29/components/actueel/rtlnieuws/2009/02_februari/08/verrijkingsonderdelen/0208_1730_frikandel_50_jaar.xml
