Travellers cruising aboard Holland America’s Koningsdam can look forward to an elevated culinary experience.
The Dutch cruise line has announced a collaboration with microgreen specialist Koppert Cress to grow fresh ingredients onboard ms Koningsdam. Based in the Netherlands with branches all over the world, Koppert Cress is the premier grower of living microgreens and other edible specialties. The company specializes in cresses — the seedlings of unique plants — that are procured from around the globe, each with its own unique taste, aroma, texture and appearance.
Bringing a farm to table style dinner menu for guests, the microgreens will be grown in the ship’s Culinary Arts Center. Once sown, the seedlings will grow for up to two weeks and then used for dinner. The microgreens will have flavours like garlic, mustard and licorice.
Guests will have the opportunity to view the ingredients on display in an enclosed growing area situated within the Culinary Arts Centre restaurant. Each course will be enjoyed as it’s prepared, with some some ingredients harvested by the ship’s chefs from the Koppert Cress growing area just before being served.
“Rather than being used as a garnish, the Koppert Cress microgreens will be used as integral ingredients in the recipes.”
“Our guests will be able to watch them grow during the cruise and then savour them freshly harvested and at their highest flavour potential during their dinner at the Culinary Arts Center experience,” said Michael Smith, senior vice president, guest experience and product development.
“Putting our microgreens on a cruise ship is a new adventure for us, and we are thrilled to be working with an esteemed company like Holland America Line.”
“Exposing our microgreens to a new audience who have an appreciation for fine cuisine is exciting for Koppert Cress, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership,” said Rob Baan, founder, Koppert Cress.
