Pasta
has become synonymous with Italian cuisine the world over. Eaten on all five continents, it has become Italy's culinary flag embraced globally. "Pasta" is Italian for paste, referring to the combination of flour and water. It is a term that also encompasses the many forms and shapes it comes in. Pasta mainly comes in two types, fresh and dried. Generally, the ones most people are familiar with are the ones bought in packets. Durum wheat, a hard wheat, is milled into semolina and mixed with water to form a dough which is kneaded and cut into different shapes and dried and packaged. Today, there are more than 600 different shapes produced worldwide.
The standard way of cooking pasta is to boil then strain from the water. It is usually eaten with different types of sauces or tossed with oil, herbs and spices
. The exception being layered flat sheets like lasagna, which is baked and tubes and pillows which are stuffed. Spaghetti is the most common type of pasta and the word is the diminutive of spago, meaning string in Italian. Italians are very descriptive of their many different types of pasta and when translated into English sound most curious. Examples include, angels' hair, ribbons, worms, little ears, butterflies, etc. Despite the odd names, Italians tend to treat pasta with the utmost seriousness.
In Italy, pasta is served as a first course, but of course it is enjoyed any old time everywhere else. Not only was there a World Pasta Conference organized in 1995 in Italy, but to commemorate this, Italians promote their culinary pride by celebrating Word Pasta Day every year in October since 1998. Not only does Italy have an Italian Pasta Association, but there is also a Pasta Museum in Rome. There, visitors can view antique pasta-making machines, study dried specimens of centuries-old pasta, gather nutritional value of pasta and learn about pasta processes.
It is a matter of much controversy with regards to the origin of this well-loved comfort food. The history of pasta is in fact as convoluted as a bowl of spaghetti. The romantic legend that Marco Polo brought pasta back to Italy on his return from travels in China is, as can be expected, totally rejected by nationalistic Italians. They claim that Marco Polo returned in 1295 but in 1279, a Genoese soldier listed in the inventory of his estate a basket of dried pasta, thus debunking this particular myth. Most do concede though that the Chinese are known to have been eating a noodle-type food but point out that pasta and noodles are different. Noodles are a starchy product known to have been made from breadfruit and not wheat!
Another theory is that the origin of pasta dates back to an archeological find of Etruscan tombs. Carvings on some of the stucco reliefs in the tombs depicted a knife, board, flour sack and an iron pin. It is interpreted that these instruments were sued to make pasta and the iron pin in particular to shape tubed pasta. However, this is just conjecture as the instruments may have had other uses and there is no further evidence to support the claim that the Etruscans invented pasta.
However, the first certain record of pasta cooked by boiling is made in the Talmud, written in Aramaic in the 5th century AD and coems from Arabic references. Known as Itiyah, it refers to dried pasta which was portable and carried as a dry staple. More than likely, pasta was introduced during the Arab conquests of Sicily. Some historians believe that the Sicilian word maccaruni, which means made into a dough by force, is the origin of macaroni. In ancient times, kneading was done with the feet and often took all day.
Some pasta dishes still eaten today in Sicily include raisins and spices that were brought in by the Arabs, another indication that perhaps it was the Arabs that introduced pasta. Dried pasta became popular throughout the 14th and 15th centuries as it was easily stored for long periods and evidence shows that ships setting on their voyages of discovery to explore the New World had pasta in their stores. Various types of pasta are also mentioned in the records of many monasteries in the 15th century and by the 17th century, pasta had become part of the daily diet of many Italians. It was an affordable staple, readily available and very adaptable. In the 16th century, the Spanish brought back many culinary discoveries including the humble tomato. When pasta met tomato, the way pasta was eaten was changed forever. Before this coupling, pasta was eaten dry with the fingers. With the introduction of a liquid sauce, the traditional use of a fork to eat pasta was born.
Cheese is one of the earliest documented condiments for pasta. Even before the earliest recipes were written, cheese with pasta was all the rage in the Middle Ages and present in all the medieval collection of recipes that feature pasta. Grated cheese was often mixed with spices. This practice survives until this day.
woensdag 29 oktober 2008
zondag 26 oktober 2008
donderdag 23 oktober 2008
Where paperclips come from
Paper clips aren't usually something that cause a lot of controversy in offices, that is, unless they are being flung at people. They are one of the many unsung heroes that go unnoticed in day to day life but have you ever stopped to think about who invented them? The United States Patent Office states that Samuel Fay entered his paper clip design into their product catalog in 1867. Ten years later Erlman Wright introduced an ingenious deign for binding newspapers but it was far from being something that most consumers and office workers would find suitable for everyday use.
The paper clip that most people use today was based on "the gem"; a bent wire piece that loops around itself and can be used over and over until it stretches out of shape or warps. You have the British to thank for the Gem type design but this unique and highly functional design has never been patented so there is no true way to give any one person credit for it.
Why were paper clips even invented? Before the invention of the plastic loop tag system for fastening labels and price tags to clothing, this was done with pins. As you may imagine, this was a time consuming process that also involved more than a few people pricking their fingers. By using a paper clip, labels were fastened quicker, the clips didn't puncture the skin and there was less damage to the item being tagged.
Staples were patented in 1877 and gave paper clips a brief run for their money but just like the pin, it was too hard for consumers to remove safely and the idea was nixed shortly thereafter.
Today paper clips can be found in all shapes and sizes; they are made from plastic, basic steel, brass, recycled aluminum and my personal favorite, the plastic coated ones that seem to last forever. Variations of the clip are just as plentiful; the basic loop design, top end pick and quick slide and diamond mount are just a few of the shapes you can find clips in.
Oddly enough, the paper clip industry is a multi million dollar a year market. New designs include the alphabet, musical notes, dog bones, musical instruments and notes, geometric shapes, flowers, stars and hearts. These upscale clips look great but generally aren't as effective as the good old basic Gem style clip.
The bulldog and binder clips are cousins to the paper clip; these are generally used to bind large amounts of paper but they are also great to hang wires and keeps computer cables off the ground. Always put the cable through the binder or bulldog, they both exert a lot of pressure that could wreak havoc on them over a period of time.
So the next time you reach for a paper clip or let loose with a stream of obscenities when you drop a box of them, give thanks to the person that invented them. Think of how complicated things would be if they were never created and the mountains of papers that would be strewn across offices. If MacGyver can find 107 uses for the paper clip then there's hope for us all.
The paper clip that most people use today was based on "the gem"; a bent wire piece that loops around itself and can be used over and over until it stretches out of shape or warps. You have the British to thank for the Gem type design but this unique and highly functional design has never been patented so there is no true way to give any one person credit for it.
Why were paper clips even invented? Before the invention of the plastic loop tag system for fastening labels and price tags to clothing, this was done with pins. As you may imagine, this was a time consuming process that also involved more than a few people pricking their fingers. By using a paper clip, labels were fastened quicker, the clips didn't puncture the skin and there was less damage to the item being tagged.
Staples were patented in 1877 and gave paper clips a brief run for their money but just like the pin, it was too hard for consumers to remove safely and the idea was nixed shortly thereafter.
Today paper clips can be found in all shapes and sizes; they are made from plastic, basic steel, brass, recycled aluminum and my personal favorite, the plastic coated ones that seem to last forever. Variations of the clip are just as plentiful; the basic loop design, top end pick and quick slide and diamond mount are just a few of the shapes you can find clips in.
Oddly enough, the paper clip industry is a multi million dollar a year market. New designs include the alphabet, musical notes, dog bones, musical instruments and notes, geometric shapes, flowers, stars and hearts. These upscale clips look great but generally aren't as effective as the good old basic Gem style clip.
The bulldog and binder clips are cousins to the paper clip; these are generally used to bind large amounts of paper but they are also great to hang wires and keeps computer cables off the ground. Always put the cable through the binder or bulldog, they both exert a lot of pressure that could wreak havoc on them over a period of time.
So the next time you reach for a paper clip or let loose with a stream of obscenities when you drop a box of them, give thanks to the person that invented them. Think of how complicated things would be if they were never created and the mountains of papers that would be strewn across offices. If MacGyver can find 107 uses for the paper clip then there's hope for us all.
Fly me to the Moon
Looming some 384.400 km (239,000 miles) from the Earth, with a diameter of 3476 km (2,160 miles) and a mass of 7.35e22 kg. shines the Moon. The Moon is the brightest object in the night sky and only second in brightness to that of the Sun. Its mean density is only 3.34 times that of water. It has no real atmosphere and no magnetic field of its own and is the only natural satellite of our planet Earth. In fact, the Moon is next to the largest moon in our solar system; the Earth and Moon can almost be said to be a double planet. The Moon undergoes extremes in temperature: it is alternately scorched to +110 degrees celsius during the day and frozen to -180 degrees celesius at night. Many of us have seen its eclipses and occultations. The Moon shines by reflected sunlight as it passes through each of its familiar phases and the Moon (with a little help from the Sun) also controls the ocean's tides.
Five hundred million years ago, the Moon summoned life out of its first home, the sea, and led it onto the empty land. For as it drew the tides across the barren continents of primeval earth, their daily rhythm exposed to sun and air, most creatures of the shallows perished—but some adapted to the new and hostile environment. The conquest of the land had begun.
The shifting patterns from light and dark, heat and cold, and the cyclical paths of the Sun, Moon, stars, and eclipses were pondered ever since our primeval ancestors first gazed out at the starry heavens. Their daily rhythm ruled each of the various stages of life, and their very survival.
Ancient cultures considered the flow of time to be a circle without beginning or end. Since people were mostly farmers, hunters and shepherds, they lived and worked closer to nature than in ages past. It was important that they knew the 'lore of the land' just to survive. They observed that the various phases the moon passed through in a month coincided with events transpiring in their environment. To this end, they learned to plant, fish, harvest, hunt, and make predictions, all by the light of the silvery moon.
Humanity seemed very little in control of the divine laws of nature. There were major and minor cycles of experience, and the mysteries of the heavens were a revelation of some divine principle of which they were a part. The ebb and flow of the seasons reflected life as a whole, in life, death, growth, rebirth and change. This was revealed to humanity in the metaphor of the Gods. They also paid careful attention to the eclipses of the Sun and Moon. Their basic assumption was that there is a sequence of consequences between events in the heavens and events occurring on the earth. ("As above, so below".) These observations formed the universal laws that are the foundations of ancient wisdom. The Moon and the Sun have been charged with certain attributes ever since the dawn of time. The Moon was the first universal measurer of time. The Moon symbolizes time, fate, spinning, wheels, weaving, cauldrons, and of course the Great Mother or feminine influence.
Five hundred million years ago, the Moon summoned life out of its first home, the sea, and led it onto the empty land. For as it drew the tides across the barren continents of primeval earth, their daily rhythm exposed to sun and air, most creatures of the shallows perished—but some adapted to the new and hostile environment. The conquest of the land had begun.
The shifting patterns from light and dark, heat and cold, and the cyclical paths of the Sun, Moon, stars, and eclipses were pondered ever since our primeval ancestors first gazed out at the starry heavens. Their daily rhythm ruled each of the various stages of life, and their very survival.
Ancient cultures considered the flow of time to be a circle without beginning or end. Since people were mostly farmers, hunters and shepherds, they lived and worked closer to nature than in ages past. It was important that they knew the 'lore of the land' just to survive. They observed that the various phases the moon passed through in a month coincided with events transpiring in their environment. To this end, they learned to plant, fish, harvest, hunt, and make predictions, all by the light of the silvery moon.
Humanity seemed very little in control of the divine laws of nature. There were major and minor cycles of experience, and the mysteries of the heavens were a revelation of some divine principle of which they were a part. The ebb and flow of the seasons reflected life as a whole, in life, death, growth, rebirth and change. This was revealed to humanity in the metaphor of the Gods. They also paid careful attention to the eclipses of the Sun and Moon. Their basic assumption was that there is a sequence of consequences between events in the heavens and events occurring on the earth. ("As above, so below".) These observations formed the universal laws that are the foundations of ancient wisdom. The Moon and the Sun have been charged with certain attributes ever since the dawn of time. The Moon was the first universal measurer of time. The Moon symbolizes time, fate, spinning, wheels, weaving, cauldrons, and of course the Great Mother or feminine influence.
dinsdag 21 oktober 2008
Biscuits in depth
The art of making cookies and crackers is that of turning simple ingredients into wonderful things....Like cakes and pastries, cookies and crackers are the descendants of the earliest food cooked by man-- -grain-water-paste baked on hot stones by Neolithic farmers 10,000 years ago. The development of cookies and crackers from these primitive beginnings is a history of refinements inspired by two different impulses--one plan and practical, the other luxurious and pleasure-loving. Savory crackers represent the practical and may well have been the first convenience foods: A flour paste, cooked once, then cooked again to dry it thoroughly, becomes a hard, portable victual with an extraordinarily long storage life--perfect for traveling....For centuries, no ship left port without enough bone-hard, twice-cooked ship's biscuit--the word biscuit comes from the Old French biscoit, meaning twice cooked---to last for months, or even years. While sailors and other travelers chewed their way through unyielding biscuits, cooks of the ancient civilizations of the Middle East explored the culinary possibilities of sweetness and richness. These cooks lightened and enriched the paste mixtures with eggs, butter and cream and sweetened them with fruit, honey and finally--when the food became widely available in the late Middle Ages--with sugar... Luxurious cakes and pastries in large and small versions were well known in the Persian empire of the Seventh Century A.D. With the Muslim invasion of Spain, then the Crusades and the developing spice trade, the cooking techniques and ingredients of Arabia spread into Northern Europe. There the word cookies, distinguishing small confections, appeared: The word comes from the Dutch Koeptje [koekje], meaning small cake. By the end of the 14th Century, one could buy little filled wafers on the streets of Paris...Renaissance cookbooks were rich in cookie recipes, and by the 17th Century, cookies were common-place
Early English and Dutch immigrants first introduced the cookie to America in the 1600s. While the English primarily referred to cookies as small cakes, seed biscuits, or tea cakes, or by specific names, such as jumbal or macaroon, the Dutch called the koekjes, a diminutive of koek (cake)...Etymologists note that by the early 1700s, koekje had been Anglicized into "cookie" or "cookey," and the word clearly had become part of the American vernacular. Following the American Revolution, people from other parts of the country became familiar with the cookie when visiting New York City, the nation's first capitol, a factor that resulted in widespread use of the term...During the seventeeth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries most cookies were made in home kitchens. They were baked as special treats because the cost of sweeteners and the amount of time and labor required for preparation. The most popular of these early cookies still retain their prize status. Recipes for jumbles, a spiced butter cookie, and for macaroons, based on beaten egg whites and almonds, were common in the earliest American cookbooks...Because it was relatively inexpensive and easy to make, gingergbread was one of the most popular early cookies...As kitchen technology improved in the early 1900s, most notably in the ability to regulate oven temperature, America's repertoire of cookie recipes grew.
"Early English and Dutch immigrants first introduced the cookie to America in the 1600s. While the English primarily referred to cookies as small cakes, seed biscuits, or tea cakes, or by specific names, such as jumbal or macaroon, the Dutch called the koekjes, a diminutive of koek (cake)...Etymologists note that by the early 1700s, koekje had been Anglicized into "cookie" or "cookey," and the word clearly had become part of the American vernacular. Following the American Revolution, people from other parts of the country became familiar with the cookie when visiting New York City, the nation's first capitol, a factor that resulted in widespread use of the term...During the seventeeth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries most cookies were made in home kitchens. They were baked as special treats because the cost of sweeteners and the amount of time and labor required for preparation. Nowadays we find all kinds of "cookies in the supermarkets and it's a wide spread product worldwide.
How to spot biscuits
* They come in packets
* They have two sides
* You could dunk them in tea
Entry level
* They come in clear cellophane wrappers
* They aren't so nice that you could eat a whole packet
* They are homogeneous
Mid range
* Anything with a currant, or some sort of fruit in it
* Twin layer affair with some sort of cream up the middle
* Wrapper has pictures on it.
Luxury
* Any thing with chocolate on top.
* May be in a cardboard box
Early English and Dutch immigrants first introduced the cookie to America in the 1600s. While the English primarily referred to cookies as small cakes, seed biscuits, or tea cakes, or by specific names, such as jumbal or macaroon, the Dutch called the koekjes, a diminutive of koek (cake)...Etymologists note that by the early 1700s, koekje had been Anglicized into "cookie" or "cookey," and the word clearly had become part of the American vernacular. Following the American Revolution, people from other parts of the country became familiar with the cookie when visiting New York City, the nation's first capitol, a factor that resulted in widespread use of the term...During the seventeeth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries most cookies were made in home kitchens. They were baked as special treats because the cost of sweeteners and the amount of time and labor required for preparation. The most popular of these early cookies still retain their prize status. Recipes for jumbles, a spiced butter cookie, and for macaroons, based on beaten egg whites and almonds, were common in the earliest American cookbooks...Because it was relatively inexpensive and easy to make, gingergbread was one of the most popular early cookies...As kitchen technology improved in the early 1900s, most notably in the ability to regulate oven temperature, America's repertoire of cookie recipes grew.
"Early English and Dutch immigrants first introduced the cookie to America in the 1600s. While the English primarily referred to cookies as small cakes, seed biscuits, or tea cakes, or by specific names, such as jumbal or macaroon, the Dutch called the koekjes, a diminutive of koek (cake)...Etymologists note that by the early 1700s, koekje had been Anglicized into "cookie" or "cookey," and the word clearly had become part of the American vernacular. Following the American Revolution, people from other parts of the country became familiar with the cookie when visiting New York City, the nation's first capitol, a factor that resulted in widespread use of the term...During the seventeeth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries most cookies were made in home kitchens. They were baked as special treats because the cost of sweeteners and the amount of time and labor required for preparation. Nowadays we find all kinds of "cookies in the supermarkets and it's a wide spread product worldwide.
How to spot biscuits
* They come in packets
* They have two sides
* You could dunk them in tea
Entry level
* They come in clear cellophane wrappers
* They aren't so nice that you could eat a whole packet
* They are homogeneous
Mid range
* Anything with a currant, or some sort of fruit in it
* Twin layer affair with some sort of cream up the middle
* Wrapper has pictures on it.
Luxury
* Any thing with chocolate on top.
* May be in a cardboard box
Roses are not just roses
The Victorian era saw the rose rise to be the premiere messenger of emotions. The restrictive society of that time had various norms that disallowed easy and frank communication, especially between lovers. The rose is a flower of occasion, and every rose has come to mean something. It is imperative therefore to know what rose means what, and to understand what people mean when they send you a rose.
The most popular and beloved of all roses is the red rose. The red rose symbolizes passionate and abiding love. A love that will be sustained in spite of the thorns and seeks a passionate consummation is what the red rose speaks of. In contrast, the white rose speaks of innocence, purity and virtue. Both these roses are also symbolic of power, as they were used in the War of the Roses.
Pale pink roses are another favorite. They speak of gentleness, grace, simplicity, appreciation and admiration. Pink roses are also used to express gratitude and sincere happiness. Another pale shade of the rose is yellow. And yellow roses speak of abundant joy, gladness and delight. It is used to welcome a person back after a period of absence. Yellow roses also indicate "jealous love".
Orange roses speak of desire and passion, enthusiasm and fulfillment. Black roses speak of death and mourning, while green roses have come to symbolize fertility, abundance and rejuvenation. Blue roses speak of something that is unattainable.
Roses take on different meanings when given in combination. Red and white given together signify a unity of the spirit. The red and yellow rose together speaks of happy and jovial feelings. A single rose stands for simplicity and complete devotion to one person.
It is obvious that roses have evolved to have rich shades of meanings and implications. The rich tradition of giving a rose to a loved one is still very popular in our society. And as long as we seek to express affection through roses, they will continue to evolve and express the deepest and truest of our feelings.
* The meaning of the rose color red is love and passion
* The meaning of the rose color white is affection
*The meaning of the rose color orange enthusiasm and eagerness
* The meaning of the rose color peach is success
* The meaning of the rose color blue is that someone is mysterious
* The meaning of the rose color black is death and change
* The meaning of the rose color pink is elegance but can also be appreciation and sympathy depending on the coloration in the rose.
* The meaning of the rose color green is fertility and fruitfulness
* The meaning of the rose color yellow is “try to care”
The most popular and beloved of all roses is the red rose. The red rose symbolizes passionate and abiding love. A love that will be sustained in spite of the thorns and seeks a passionate consummation is what the red rose speaks of. In contrast, the white rose speaks of innocence, purity and virtue. Both these roses are also symbolic of power, as they were used in the War of the Roses.
Pale pink roses are another favorite. They speak of gentleness, grace, simplicity, appreciation and admiration. Pink roses are also used to express gratitude and sincere happiness. Another pale shade of the rose is yellow. And yellow roses speak of abundant joy, gladness and delight. It is used to welcome a person back after a period of absence. Yellow roses also indicate "jealous love".
Orange roses speak of desire and passion, enthusiasm and fulfillment. Black roses speak of death and mourning, while green roses have come to symbolize fertility, abundance and rejuvenation. Blue roses speak of something that is unattainable.
Roses take on different meanings when given in combination. Red and white given together signify a unity of the spirit. The red and yellow rose together speaks of happy and jovial feelings. A single rose stands for simplicity and complete devotion to one person.
It is obvious that roses have evolved to have rich shades of meanings and implications. The rich tradition of giving a rose to a loved one is still very popular in our society. And as long as we seek to express affection through roses, they will continue to evolve and express the deepest and truest of our feelings.
* The meaning of the rose color red is love and passion
* The meaning of the rose color white is affection
*The meaning of the rose color orange enthusiasm and eagerness
* The meaning of the rose color peach is success
* The meaning of the rose color blue is that someone is mysterious
* The meaning of the rose color black is death and change
* The meaning of the rose color pink is elegance but can also be appreciation and sympathy depending on the coloration in the rose.
* The meaning of the rose color green is fertility and fruitfulness
* The meaning of the rose color yellow is “try to care”
maandag 20 oktober 2008
The Dutch and their bi cycles
What is so special about a cronky old granny's bike? A timeless beauty might be a more respectful way of describing the traditional Dutch bicycle (TDB). It is a design classic, an integral part of the Dutch landscape, a machine perfectly suited to its environment and to the function it has to perform.
Still looks like an old-fashioned granny's bike . . .Darling, the retro-chic styling is the very thing that makes the TDB the most fashionable thing to be seen on. The Dutch call them omafiets, which means . . . grandma's bicycle - but more as a statement of fact than derision. They are solid, well made and last a lifetime. Many of the woman you see spinning around Amsterdam are literally riding their granny's bicycle.
How would you recognise a TDB? In the Netherlands, it is impossible to avoid them, but one has to be discerning to spot a true classic. A genuine TDB should have all of the following: a sexy hooped frame; a covered chain guard; a built-in lighting and locking system; saddlebags that John Wayne would have been proud of; stern upright handlebars; a back-rack large enough to carry a friend; and, most important of all, it must be completely black.
Any other distinguishing features? They have only one gear, a backpedalling brake system and they weigh a ton.
Sounds jolly uncomfortable. On the contrary, once you get going, the "roof inspector" position of the saddle and the sheer momentum give a very smooth ride; and back-pedalling brakes are, apparently, great for developing the buttock muscles.
But why are the bikes peculiar to the Netherlands? In terms of bicycle evolution, Holland is the Galapagos Islands; there is no real need to change. The Safety Bicycle introduced by John Kemp Starley in 1884 became the standard model for the domestic Dutch cycle companies setting up at the turn of the century. This standard model was then free to roam on the extensive cycle network established in 1924. In this cycle-friendly environment, sales grew steadily, so that nowadays there are 2.5 bicycles per person in the Netherlands. There have been some flirtations with hybrids and even a few mountain-bike sales, but a slightly modified TDB is still the top seller.
So how do you get your hands on one of these galleons of the cycle lane?
They are three ways:
1 Buy new from a Dutch bicycle shop. There are four firms that still make the TDB's: Gazelle (supplier to the Dutch royal family), Union, Spartan and Batavus. Telephone or visit one of their official dealers - there are lots in Amsterdam. Beware of new foreign imitations, with unmanly names such as Nostalgie. They look the part from a distance, but they have none of the original's fine qualities or staying power.
2 Buy one secondhand from a cycle shop. The Dutch government has introduced a tax incentive whereby you can cheaply lease a new bike and trade it every three years. As a result, there is a very healthy secondhand market. You can pick up a used TDB for between € 50 and € 100
3 Hang around the dodgy areas by the central station until somebody hisses "Fietsen" (Dutch for bicycles). The bike will have been stolen and the seller will probably be a junkie . . . Not recommended.
Still looks like an old-fashioned granny's bike . . .Darling, the retro-chic styling is the very thing that makes the TDB the most fashionable thing to be seen on. The Dutch call them omafiets, which means . . . grandma's bicycle - but more as a statement of fact than derision. They are solid, well made and last a lifetime. Many of the woman you see spinning around Amsterdam are literally riding their granny's bicycle.
How would you recognise a TDB? In the Netherlands, it is impossible to avoid them, but one has to be discerning to spot a true classic. A genuine TDB should have all of the following: a sexy hooped frame; a covered chain guard; a built-in lighting and locking system; saddlebags that John Wayne would have been proud of; stern upright handlebars; a back-rack large enough to carry a friend; and, most important of all, it must be completely black.
Any other distinguishing features? They have only one gear, a backpedalling brake system and they weigh a ton.
Sounds jolly uncomfortable. On the contrary, once you get going, the "roof inspector" position of the saddle and the sheer momentum give a very smooth ride; and back-pedalling brakes are, apparently, great for developing the buttock muscles.
But why are the bikes peculiar to the Netherlands? In terms of bicycle evolution, Holland is the Galapagos Islands; there is no real need to change. The Safety Bicycle introduced by John Kemp Starley in 1884 became the standard model for the domestic Dutch cycle companies setting up at the turn of the century. This standard model was then free to roam on the extensive cycle network established in 1924. In this cycle-friendly environment, sales grew steadily, so that nowadays there are 2.5 bicycles per person in the Netherlands. There have been some flirtations with hybrids and even a few mountain-bike sales, but a slightly modified TDB is still the top seller.
So how do you get your hands on one of these galleons of the cycle lane?
They are three ways:
1 Buy new from a Dutch bicycle shop. There are four firms that still make the TDB's: Gazelle (supplier to the Dutch royal family), Union, Spartan and Batavus. Telephone or visit one of their official dealers - there are lots in Amsterdam. Beware of new foreign imitations, with unmanly names such as Nostalgie. They look the part from a distance, but they have none of the original's fine qualities or staying power.
2 Buy one secondhand from a cycle shop. The Dutch government has introduced a tax incentive whereby you can cheaply lease a new bike and trade it every three years. As a result, there is a very healthy secondhand market. You can pick up a used TDB for between € 50 and € 100
3 Hang around the dodgy areas by the central station until somebody hisses "Fietsen" (Dutch for bicycles). The bike will have been stolen and the seller will probably be a junkie . . . Not recommended.
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