First Time Free Market During King's Day 👑

In my previous post I mentioned experiencing King's Day in the Netherlands for the first time and how I wasn't expecting the vrije markt (free market) as a recurring activity, where citizens sell used items at a reduced price. This happens all over the country and here are some of the highlights of the few free markets I passed that day.

The first free market we visited in Amsterdam was located in Bijlmermeer, where vendors sold the usual market items, that weren't necessarily pre-loved but were definitely at a good price. The food stands were the ones that stood out, especially those that sold Surinamese dishes and snacks, like viado, saoto soup (soto ayam), teloh, bara and samosas.

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Because of the large Surinamese population in Bijlmermeer, the marketplace (that's also there outside of the holiday) sells a range fruits and vegetables consumed in Suriname, like ginger, peppers, antroewa (African, Surinamese or Vietnamese eggplant), okra and bhata (aubergine). A downside is that the sellers raise the prices because of the high demand for these goods.

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The vendor that caught my full attention was one selling Javanese-Surinamese snacks, with a deal I couldn't pass: three Indonesian snacks for five euro's. What I had to purchase was the in banana leaves wrapped steamed sweet snack dokun/dokoen, which is made from grated cassava and coconut.

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One lumpia and another pastry were my second and third choices. The dokoen was sticky and sweet and brought back memories from my childhood, because it's been years since I last had this snack in Suriname. The pastry and lumpia were also flavorful, but cold as the seller fried those earlier that day and not on the spot.

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Another treat we couldn't resist were the grilled chicken satays (skewered meat), that were hot off the grill and a sign of warmer seasons ahead. The satays were delicious and a nice change of snack option. The satay sauce I could do without though, because of the lack of spiciness and watered down flavor.

After that we proceeded to another part of Amsterdam - Vondelpark - where the free market experience comes through, with more citizens - children and adults alike - participating. Whether it is by selling (used) items, picknicks or by facilitating games. One game that was creative and funny was where a participant needs to throw an object through a hole in a carton, with the king's face on it and a text "The King Is Hungry".

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Ever experienced King's Day and/or a Vrije Markt? Let me know in the comments below 🤓.