Column: Dutch products we miss in Italy

De Italian culture is great and in many ways better than the Dutch one. If I had to choose between a peanut butter sandwich for lunch or a plate of pasta, I would know immediately. Dutch or Italian music? That's not even a question for me anymore. Planning everything all the way up to the minute in advance or just enjoying what's coming? Yes, those Italians got it.

But there are still those little (typically) Dutch things that we miss in Italy. And they therefore have to be imported by kilograms at a time.

Of course I also miss more than enough from the Netherlands, which is not so easy to get here. Friends and family can visit and you can Skype, but that's different than if you live closer to home.

Or what do you think of the Sinterklaas feeling, King's Day or a downpour in the summer? Real Dutch things that you can forget in Italy, except for that rare downpour.

Furthermore, the things we miss from the Netherlands are largely about food. Only it's not the standard stuff you'd expect, like drop, stroopwafels or sprinkles.

Indeed, you can't get that here, but I actually never ate it in the Netherlands, so it's not such a loss.

Tony's Chocolonely Coffee Crunch

What I miss most about the Netherlands is the Coffee Crunch chocolate bar from Tony's Chocolonely. I was completely addicted to that in the Netherlands, with those delicious pieces of ground coffee bean that crack between your teeth. No chocolate experience comes close. Not at home and certainly not here. Such a bar must therefore be taken back to Italy as standard when we have been to the Netherlands.

International cuisine

The other food I miss from the Netherlands is not typically Dutch, but mainly comes from international cuisine. The Italians have really eaten very little of that. Understandably, if you can make such delicious dishes yourself, then you also have less need for anything else. But as much as I love Italian cuisine, sometimes I get such an appetite for roti, fried tempeh or spring rolls.

I try to make it at home, but most of the ingredients are very difficult to obtain. For example, coriander is really not a thing here. Menta, basilico, salvia en parsley you can find all fresh in the supermarket, but coriander is not included. Such a shame because I really love it. But I can make something of it with a jar of imported coriander powder.

Furthermore, I have never been able to find rice sheets here to make spring rolls, so I always take a few with me when we are in the Netherlands. And, if I still have room, a jar of gingerbread. I think that tastes better than just cinnamon and then I can bake delicious gingerbread cookies, apple pie and carrot cake.

Fortunately, after a lot of searching, I managed to find sushi sheets, chili sauce, tahini and peanut butter in Italy, but for that you really have to know where to go. You have the best chance at the larger supermarkets such as Migross, foreign supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl and the small shops with foreign products sold here. food are called. That way you don't have to carry an extra suitcase every time to meet all your eating needs.

Shoes and clothes, make-up, painkillers

Other things that are high on our import list are shoes for Christo, clothes for Manja, make-up from the Bodyshop, painkillers and vitamin pills. That may sound like a strange mess, but there's all the same motivation behind it: that it's hard to change old habits.

When we came to live in Italy we changed a lot of things: we started eating different things, using different soap and shampoo and wearing different clothes and shoes. Only you have developed a number of habits and preferences over the years that are difficult to let go of.

Christo, for example, always bought his clothes at the Jack & Jones and they have them here too, so that makes a difference. In the meantime I have discovered new clothing stores that I like, but I still import my favorite jeans from the Netherlands.

And even though the Italians are known for the high quality of their shoes, Christo prefers to wear his own brand from the Netherlands. And already sitting Italian women often beautiful in make-up, I just want my trusty old lipstick from the Bodyshop, which looks good anytime, anywhere.

When it comes to painkillers and vitamin pills, I like to err on the side of caution. I know what kind of headache I need and I have been taking the same vitamin pills all my life.

Of course they also have everything here at the pharmacy: Tachipirina, paracetamol, Aspirina, Voltaren, Oki, Moment, Brufen. Leave it to the Italians to sell many different drugs. I just don't feel like trying it all out and seeing what works for me and what doesn't. So a box of paracetamol and a jar of vitamin pills are standard on the list.

Print photos

Then there is the pure laziness category. I always have my photos printed in the Netherlands. I can just arrange that online and then I pick it up somewhere in a store where I happen to be in the area. Is that also possible in Italy? Surely. I just never really looked into it and I think that's actually quite fine.

Magazine

I also love to read a Dutch magazine, especially my favorite game magazine, the PowerUnlimited. I have a subscription to that, but unfortunately they don't ship abroad. So my dear mother has made her mailbox available for that and I can't believe my luck when I can put a few new sheets in my backpack again. If the pile gets too thick, she sometimes sends a packet of magazines. So wonderful to read nice Dutch. Thanks, Mom!

Toothpicks

Then there is one great Dutch article that I can always use: wooden toothpicks. huh? Don't they have toothpicks in Italy? Yes, but only those pale green Christmas trees that bend and break just looking at them. I just want a nice piece of wood between my teeth, I think that works well. So as strange as it may be, toothpicks always come with you.

All in all, we don't have to drag a lot to meet all our Dutch needs in Italy. I just never expected in advance that these would be the things I would miss.

I was thinking more of the category of typical Dutch products such as pepernoten and Easter bread, but that turns out to be not so bad. Really, having someone come to visit and give me a box of ultra-thin wooden toothpicks makes me very happy.

PS After writing this piece, I was actually a little embarrassed about the pure laziness category. In the meantime I have discovered that you can simply have your photos printed at Media World, the Italian Media Markt. That saves one article that we no longer have to import!