1. Did you know that the Netherlands is the world’s second largest exporters of mushrooms, after Poland?
2. 80% of the total production of mushrooms (‘champignons’ in Dutch) in the Netherlands is being exported.
3. The Netherlands exports about 50 million kilos of fresh mushrooms and nearly 220 million kilos of processed mushrooms per year.
4. Mushrooms are not really vegetables in the sense that they do not have any leaves, roots or seeds. They also don’t require any light to grow.
5. There are around 116 mushroom companies in the Netherlands with a total area of 579,000m². Most of them are located in the south of Gelderland, North Brabant and the north of Limburg.
6. The Dutch consume an average of three kilos of mushrooms per person per year.
7. When mushrooms are intended for the fresh trade, they are harvested by hand. Picking is done carefully to prevent damage. Mushrooms for the preservation industry are harvested mechanically. Full mechanical picking can yield up to 6,000 kilos per hour.
Click here for the recipe for Dutch mushroom soup (‘champignonsoep’ in Dutch).
