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Magazine
TIME OUT
Going strong
APARNA KARTHIKEYAN
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The Albert Cuyp market in Amsterdam, a hundred years old, is thriving due to immigrants from Asia.
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Though originally an archetypical Dutch market, largely selling seasonal produce, it's now a vibrant, "everything under the sun" collection of stalls, shops and cafes.
PHOTOS: APARNA KARTHIKEYAN
BUSY AND COLOURFUL: The stalls in the Cuyp market.
"GOEDEMORGEN! Duvet-covers! Dho for panch!" hawked the salesman cheerily, as I walked into the stall displaying colourful bed linen. I looked up shocked; it isn't everyday, after all, that one gets to hear a Dutchman in Amsterdam speak Hindi! Grinning at my expression of disbelief, he explained that he had learnt a few "Indi" words from the Indian and Pakistani stall owners. "There are lots of foreigners here and I've picked up words in many languages!" he concluded breezily. Paying up the panch euros (his sales pitch was truly irresistible!), I strolled around the Albert Cuyp market.
The interior of the church converted to a cafe.
Located in the De Pijp area, close to the centre of Amsterdam, and ranking high among Europe's biggest and busiest street markets, the Albert Cuyp Markt celebrated its 100th birthday last year. Though originally an archetypical Dutch market, largely selling seasonal produce — vegetables, fruits and flowers — it's now a vibrant, "everything under the sun" collection of nearly 300 stalls and about a 100 permanent shops and cafes. Schmaltzy souvenirs, mounds of yellow cheese, fresh flowers and fruits, vegetables (exotic and seasonal), clothes, cosmetics, bicycles, spare-parts (locks large enough to bind an elephant!), pots, pans, pillows... there's very little one cannot find here!
Melting pot
Fascinatingly, the market, the people and the goods it showcases, accurately reflects the demographic shifts in the Dutch society, which is now a veritable melting pot of cultures! "Two decades back, Albert Cuyp was a typical Dutch street market, selling food to the locals. Today, I can hardly recognise the place," remarks Ankie Vlodrop, a native of Amsterdam. Many of the stalls are now run by Asians, who skilfully flog incense sticks, boho-chic bags, dates, nuts, silks and pashminas to equally enthralled natives and tourists. Martin Colmans, the owner of a popular antique shop on the market for over 20 years, attributes this trend to the huge immigrant population. "People from India and the Arab countries are used to doing business on the streets, whereas the Dutch youth don't seem to think much of it anymore... and so you see this highly cosmopolitan crowd out here."
And cosmopolitan it certainly was — trigger-happy tourists mingle with locals who home in on their favourite stalls to strike both conversation and bargain, while hawkers of several nationalities, comfortably switching between Dutch and English, often pepper their sales pitch with generous lashings of their respective mother tongues. Apparently, the market changes dramatically with the seasons; while thronging crowds and brisk trade signifies the summer months (with goods tailored to suit touristy tastes — trinkets, erotically-shaped chocolates and the like flooding the market), a slump in visitors and sales marks the onset of winter. The future of Albert Cuyp Markt, or for that matter any street market, clearly depends on how effectively it can compete with the large supermarket chains, which typically offer convenience at highly competitive prices. "Why would anybody come here to buy vegetables, when they can find the same stuff in a supermarket down their street, maybe at a lower price?" asks Martin, citing this as the reason why the market has now devolved from food-centric to a "general" one.
Yet, the charming, traditional market — general or otherwise — is definitely flourishing; the small-time merchants aren't complaining, since its long-standing reputation earns it pride of place in most guide books, and it receives a steady stream of visitors from far off Spain, Italy, even the U.S. But perhaps it's the ease with which it evolves to suit changing palates that's the single most significant factor for its success... fish-stalls (the Dutch aren't overtly excited about fish) lure the growing Oriental populace, while the presence of baingan and bindhi is a nod to sub-continental preferences.
Changing dynamics
As if to drive home the point further, there stands, in the middle of the market, a symbol of its remarkable dynamism. What was once a Church — replete with Golden Angel perched on the roof — is now a thriving, trendy café! "Here in Holland, religion doesn't attract crowds anymore," says Martin. "But since the Dutch like to preserve heritage buildings, they retained the exterior." The vaulted interior first became a supermarket, next a record shop, then an expensive French restaurant, and now, in its current avatar, it's a café run by Iranians.
In sharp contrast to its solemn, soaring facade, the brilliantly hand-painted, subdued interiors made me wonder if I was in Ankara or Amsterdam! And, I daresay, with so much to offer — though not all of it quintessentially Dutch — Albert Cuyp Markt is probably not going to become the stuff of myths and legends anytime soon...
At a glance
* Trams Nos. 4, 16, 24 or 25 take you directly to "Albert Cuyp Straat", where the market is located.
* The market is open, come rain, shine, sleet or snow, Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (though in really nasty weather, it closes earlier).
* Prices aren't always fixed, and bargaining can net you a great deal!
* Keep a close watch on your belongings, especially on crowded days, i.e. weekends and sunny days.
* Be sure to savour the local specialities — stroopwafels, cheese or herrings.
* Don't miss the statue of Andre Hazes, a Dutch singer; the locals still leave flowers for him!
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