From cherries to sea purslane and from salt to yellowtail kingfish
Get on your bike and discover the salty and sweet flavours of the Bevelanden. Look, listen, smell, touch and taste. Smaek van Zeêland and local entrepreneurs invite you to explore lesser-known corners of Noord- and Zuid-Beveland. They live and work in a flavourful (sea)scape where land and water meet. This salty-sweet landscape is steeped in culinary history that tells stories of the world as it once was.
Along the Eastern Scheldt boulevard, on the southern edge of Oosterschelde National Park, nature and culture come together. On the northern side of Noord-Beveland lie the inlagen: strips of land between an old and a new sea dike, shaped by centuries of struggle against the water. In Colijnsplaat, memories of Roman times (salt), fishing and the island's agricultural history converge. Worth remembering: almost the entire island disappeared under water in the sixteenth century.
Here the flavours of sea, dike and polder meet: from sweet cherries to yellowtail kingfish. Or enjoy fish with a view of the iconic Zeeland Bridge.
Via the Zandkreek Dam — or, in July and August, by the bicycle and foot ferry between Wolphaartsdijk and Kortgene — you reach Zuid-Beveland. At De Heerlijkheid van Wolphaartsdijk you'll find sea purslane in the shop and, believe it or not, even from a vending machine. Fish lovers can visit the fish shop for eel and other species. On the bottom of the Veerse Meer, carpet shells live — a lesser-known delicacy from Zeeland's waters.
On this ride, flavours and scents, nature and landscape, people and history come together. A journey of discovery through Zilt Zoet Zeeland, past and present.
Remember to check the opening hours of the participating businesses in advance. Enjoy your ride!
This route was created by Gerard van Keken, Smaek van Zeêland/Merkwaardige Identiteit
