Stoemp is a mashed potato dish mixed with vegetables and fried, popular in Belgium and the Netherlands. Different vegetables give it different names. Similar dishes exist worldwide, often created during food rationing in World War II. Meat is a common ingredient, and Stoemp is often served with boudin, eggs, or grilled bacon. Potatoes were once considered unholy, but became a staple during famines. Stoemp is a cheap and nutritious dish that can be found in cookbooks and online.
Stoemp is a potato dish popular throughout Belgium and parts of the Netherlands. It mainly consists of mashed potatoes mixed with one or more vegetables, then fried. Other ingredients are often added, such as cream and spices. Stoemp is considered a satisfying and filling side dish and is often served alongside boudin, eggs or grilled bacon.
Different vegetables are added to stoemp to cause different taste sensations. Depending on the vegetable, stoemp can be called different names, such as wortelstoemp if carrots are added. It’s common to find stoemp made with carrots, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions or leeks, spinach, and peas. Bay leaf and thyme are often used as seasonings.
Similar potato dishes exist around the world, many of which were direct results of food rationing during World War II. In this period it was difficult to find fresh meat, and it was quite normal for families to turn leftovers, especially potatoes, into tasty meals. Corned beef, made by adding saltpeter to beef, was usually the staple meat seen during this time. Some of these dishes that have evolved include bubbles and squeaks from England, stampet from the Netherlands, hash from the United States, colcannon from Ireland, and bikemad from Denmark.
Meat is a common ingredient in most of these dishes. Boudin and bacon are often served with Stoemp. English bubble and squeak are served or roasted. Rookworst, a smoked sausage, normally compliments Dutch stamppot. Corned beef is traditionally mixed with hash in the United States. The Danish bike is made with virtually any leftover meat or egg. Unlike these dishes, Irish colcannon can only be as a dish on its own.
Fried potatoes have been a part of Belgian cuisine for centuries and are used in a number of Belgian dishes. For many years after the potato first arrived in Europe during the 1500s, potatoes were thought to be unholy and unfit for normal human consumption. They soon became a staple during famines and were cooked in a number of ways, including frying. Even the sometimes hotly debated potato chip may very well have its origins rooted in Belgian history, depending on whose story one believes.
Stoemp and similar dishes provided great nutrition to people at a very cheap price during times when food was scarce. These recipes are popular in both homes and restaurants because they have been modified to become flavorful and appealing additions to communal meals. A multitude of Stoemp recipes can be found in cookbooks and on the internet.
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