Sapinca

Where a passion leads to

My son and myself share two passions:
travel and food. We have seen a lot of the world and have
come into contact with many different cultures and different
flavours. We scoured local markets all over the world in search
of the most beautiful products and ingredients.
Myself, I love to cook good food, and Diederick just loves to
eat it.
We were consistently asked for an uncommon (non-alcoholic)
drink to stimulate the taste buds and complement our unique
take on food…
With nowhere else to turn, we decided to create our own drink.
We’d always been inspired by the variety of roots from each
local cuisine, leading us to search for a unique combination.

Sapinca is an organic root elixer it contains 10 power roots:

Ashwganda, horsradish, liquorice, curcuma, galangal, tapioca, ginger, bacon, maca


Ginger

Magical medicinal plant

Apart from its culinary and ornamental powers, the use of ginger is inextricably linked to its medicinal purposes. “When ingested it is like switching on your body’s engine, allowing for circulation within your body,” Gundula explains. The ancient Chinese and Indians used ginger as a tonic root for many ailments. “Ginger is often added to tea blends, because it helps to open up the channels in the body. This allows for the swift absorption of the health benefits from the other herbs it has been paired with. Ginger will, for example, take the turmeric to the extremities of your fingers to ease the swelling caused by arthritis.”

It is the natural oils in ginger that give it its unique fragrance and flavour. The most important of these is gingerol, which is responsible for much of the root’s medicinal properties, including its powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Research has also suggested that ginger may be useful in treating nausea, aiding with indigestion and weight loss, effective at reducing the symptoms of osteoarthritis, lowering blood sugar levels, reducing menstrual pain and helping to fight infections. It may even protect against age-related damage to the brain.

How to use ginger

Incorporating ginger into your diet seems like a no-brainer, and can be done in many ways.

  • Add it to your favourite curries and winter dishes
  • Make your own homemade ginger beer
  • Add it to a herbal tea infusion by cutting 1 cm slices of fresh ginger root and adding them to your tea.
  • Make a delicious non-alcoholic cocktail with ginger and its super-root cousin, turmeric.

Flower market on the "Amstelveld"

Flower market on the "Amstelveld"

Every Monday morning there is a small but pretty market on the Amstelveld.

You will find not only flowers, plants and bulbs, but also cheese, chocolates, honey, french sausages etc.

We often go there for the eatable flowers, we use in our kitchen.


Fort Negen

Fort Negen, new bakery opened in april 2021. They work with organic products and all "desem" breads are handmade in the open kitchen. Our favorite is the farmhouse bread with toasted rye flour. You must try the various croissants too!

Fort Negen, nieuwe bakker geopend in april 2021 op de Jan Evertsenstraat te Amsterdam. Zij werken met bioprodukten en alle "desembroden" worden met de hand gemaakt in de openkeuken. De verschillende croissants zijn ook zeer de moeite waard.

Onze favoriet is het boerenbrood met getoast roggemeel en de verschillende croissants.


Barba di frate

“Barba di frate” een heerlijke italiaanse zeegroente heerlijk bij visgerechten, pasta’s of te gebruiken in salades.


Rainarai

Rainairai opens new shop at The Westerstreet in Amsterdam. Go in and you smell the lovely spices from the Algerian kitchen.


Winter the season for oranges

Citrus Varieties

Citrus is one of the world’s most loved fruit tree.

The Navel orange gets its name from the hole at the base of the fruit that encloses a miniature, underdeveloped secondary fruit (resembling a human navel).  They have a rich, juicy flavour and rough, bright orange skins that are easy to peel.

Valencia

The Valencia is named after the Spanish city of Valencia, although its true origin remains unknown. It has thinner skin than the Navel, is generally sweet and commonly cultivated for the production of juice. Tarocco Blood Orange

The Italian Tarocco blood orange has striking, red flesh that develops during the cold winter nights. It is tender and juicy, with a flavour reminiscent of strawberry.

Seville

The common bitter Seville orange is widely grown in Spain. The bitter taste makes it an excellent choice for marmalade or other spreads. Petitgrain essential oil is distilled from the leaves, while oil of neroli is extracted from the flowers. The dried flowers are used to make tea in China.


Lemon verbena

Lemon verbena has a bright, slightly sweet, herbaceous flavour with a distinct hint of lemon. Despite its strong lemon scent, this citrusy herb has a far less aggressive lemon flavor than lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemon mint, and lemongrass.

This lemon-scented herb has a number of culinary uses ranging from rich roasts to sweet citrusy desserts and jams. Lemon verbena can be used to make flavourful olive oil-based salad dressings, subtle lemon ice cream, and lemon verbena jelly, as well as season poultry dishes, salsa verde, and soups. It can be used in place of lemon zest or dried lemon as a more subtle addition to dishes, or infused into pantry ingredients like sugar and vinegar.

In Europe and other global destinations, tea lovers combine lemon verbena leaves with hot water to create a popular herbal tea known as Louisa in England, “te de cedron” in Mexican kitchens, and Luiza in Greek households. This kind of tea is also popular among French, Spanish, and Italian drinkers. Lemon verbena can also be used to make a flavorful iced tea or lemonade made with fresh lemon juice, lemon verbena, simple syrup, and mint leaves.

Lemon verbena tea made with fresh lemon verbena leaves and boiling water is commonly used to relieve the symptoms of colds including chills, fever, and congestion. Lemon verbena essential oil is also used topically to relieve muscle pain.


turmeric

Though having only recently entered the mainstream as the ingredient of the moment, turmeric – or Curcuma longa as it’s known by its biological name – has been used for millennia everywhere from China and India to Jamaica and West Africa. While it’s likely that just about every bite of curry you’ve tasted in your lifetime contains turmeric, there is archaeological evidence indicating its use over 4 500 years ago. It has also long been used as a sacred root for body embellishment during cultural ceremonies. The Hindu tradition of Haldi, for example, sees the bride and groom having a tincture of oil, water and turmeric applied to their bodies as a blessing before their wedding.

Other than its gastronomical and religious uses, turmeric was grown and harvested as a natural textile dye – for centuries the distinctive yellow of Buddhist robes got their colour from turmeric. In contemporary fashion circles, one of the world’s largest fashion dye houses, Tintoria di Quaregna in Italy, has made headlines for its return to plant-based formulas with turmeric featuring prominently. Hip cosmetics brands such as NARS, Kiehl’s and Urban Decay have also been inspired by turmeric’s ancient cultural use as a beauty aid (it’s said to get skin glowing) and incorporated it into everything from make-up and foundation to face masks and moisturisers.

And then there is the evidence-based healing and health properties of turmeric, long used in the practice of natural medicine – in particular Ayurveda, the Indian system of holistic healing. Curcumin, the compound responsible for turmeric’s vivid colour, is known to have potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. This is a plant that packs a lot of punch!

HOW TO USE TURMERIC

Turmeric is on-trend, versatile, mild and earthy.

  • Concoct a warm tea or iced tea with thinly sliced fresh turmeric and ginger, sweeten with honey.
  • Make your favourite curry paste using turmeric and coconut oil. Store in a jar in the refrigerator and use in a sauce or when you make chicken, prawn or any other curry
  • Add a bit of grated turmeric and cardamom to hot chocolate for a mild earthy flavour.
  • For a pick-me-up a wellness shot mix grated turmeric, ginger and freshly squeezed orange juice. Add a little cayenne pepper at the end. Fresh mango or pineapple juice works just as well.
  • Mix turmeric and paprika and sprinkle over cauliflower florets. Season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice. Roast in the oven at 180 degrees in the oven on a tray until golden brown. You can do the same with butternut or pumpkin.
  • Add to carrot, pumpkin, corn or sweet potato soup.
  • Spice up breakfast by adding a teaspoon or two of freshly grated turmeric to your flapjacks recipe. Serve with ginger honey.
  • Garnish your favourite cocktail with a ribbon of fresh turmeric just before serving and watch the colour change. Magic.
  • Add a bit of turmeric for your Asian style broth or any mash such as potato, sweet potato, pumpkin or carrot and potato.

GROWING TURMERIC

  • Turmeric is a fast grower, shooting new growth from the tubers in early summer. They can quickly grow up to two metres within a few weeks.
  • Turmeric is easy to grow during the warm summer months when plants will need regular watering. Grow tubers in pots with a fertile compost mix that drains well. Tubers should be kept dry when they are dormant.
  • We love turmeric because it’s such an easy grower. The leaves are very attractive but it’s the flowers that are the real show-stoppers. They’re like hidden gems between tall, lush growth.
  • It’s a little known fact, but the flowers also taste good!

Bakery Noé

Noé is a 100% organic boulangerie and patisserie in Amsterdam. They have three locations with the latest just opening on the Bloemgracht.

They pride themselves on using the best ingredients and following traditional methods.

They have a selection of breads, rolls and pastries using different flours and techniques so that each is unique.

Not only can you enjoy their beautiful baked goods, but you can also enjoy a take away coffee.

We absolutely love their financiers - delicate little cakes made with almonds and beurre noisette. We treat ourselves now and and again to one on our way to work to enjoy with a cup of coffee.

Find Noé at the following locations:

Vijzelgracht 20 - Boulangerie & Pâtisserie
Gustav Malherlaan 399 - Boulangerie & Pâtisserie, sandwiches & coffees/teas
Bloemgracht 2 - Boulangerie & Pâtisserie

For more information, visit: www.boulangerienoe.com