As far as I can see, the Dutch are pretty-much into their root vegetables. Offer a Dutchman a nice turnip, carrot or beetroot and his face will light up with joy. So why can't a poor English girl find a few humble parsnips for her Christmas dinner? I traipsed round many-a market stall and shop last year but my search was fruitless (or should I say vegetable-less, ha ha).
Due to an extremely comprehensive English-Dutch dictionary I am armed with the superior parsnip-hunting knowledge this year. The Dutch call them 'pastinaak' apparently. If they have a word for them they must sell them somewhere, surely? Or has no one seen a parsnip in the Lowlands since the Middle Ages?
I certainly have been (unhappily) parsnip-less since moving here. According to a stall holder at my local market (the Albert Cuyp Markt) they have been known to sell them, but not at the moment. I tried to explain the importance of parsnip-eating for the English at this time of year, but she didn't seem too impressed.
The hunt for this elusive vegetable has become a bit of an obsessive mission for me. I have asked around at work. I have had several Dutch people phoning their mothers to make enquiries on my behalf. Still no joy, but I'm trying to remain optimistic, after all, it IS Christmas.
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