Spices and Herbs

Pepper dominates the total spice demand in The Netherlands and accounted for 34 per
cent of Dutch spice imports by volume in 1997. In the same year the apparent consumption
of pepper was 5,510 tonnes, of which more than half was absorbed by the food processing
industry and in particular the meat sector. In 1997 about 70 per cent of the sales of pepper
in the Dutch retail market was of ground pepper. Ground white pepper is the top selling
variety with a share of approximately 40 per cent, but black peppercorns with a 25 per cent
share have shown significant growth since the mid-1990s.
At consumer level little attention is paid to the origin of pepper nor there is any attempt on
the part of the producing countries to promote the qualities of their pepper directly to
consumers. Spice grinders and packers, therefore, hold that pepper from various origins is
generally interchangeable and the determining factor in their selection of a particular
product is its price.
Other significant dried spices for the Dutch market are paprika (11 per cent of total
import volume in 1997), coriander (8 per cent), cinnamon (6 per cent), ginger (5 per cent),
nutmeg (6 per cent), and caraway seed (4 per cent). The ranges of ready-to-use spice
mixtures for minced meat, which is very popular in The Netherlands, have expanded. Also,
other varieties of spice mixtures for the Dutch such as those used in the Italian, French,
Asian and Mexican cuisine have all been introduced with success. These new mixes have
inspired Dutch people to try out favourite restaurant menus at home. For the grinder and
processor this has given an opportunity to add value by designing special spice mixes for
particular flavours with different or high quality ingredients.
Dried herbs are imported in their whole dried form, not crushed or ground, which means
they have been roughly cleaned but not further processed. The demand for these is
satisfied by imports, with the exception of parsley and dill, the only herbs which are grown
on a reasonable scale in The Netherlands.
According to trade sources the import volume of dried herbs in 1997 amounted to 2,850
tonnes which is an enormous increase compared to about 1,550 tons per year in the early
1990s. The reason for this growth is the introduction of new herbal mixtures.
The increasing interest in the cuisine of other cultures has led to higher demand for
individual herbs such as basil, oregano, sage, cardamom and ready-to-use herb mixes.
Examples are: pizza-mix (Italian), mix Provençale (French), mix Toscane (Italian),
shoarma-mix (Arabic), cajun-mix (Mexican), chicken Tandoori-mix (Indian), chicken
Szechuan (China) and various mixes for other popular international dishes.
Parsley and marjoram are the most significant herb imports in volume terms, each
accounting for about 20% of total herb imports. Other important herbs used by the food
industry and in domestic cookery include oregano, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, basil, dill,
savoury, sage, mint and tarragon.
Fresh herbs are difficult to quantify because no official trade statistics are available. In the
past they were only sold in garden centers in spring and summer. Fresh herbs, mainly
parsley, celery, chives, dill weed, basil, coriander, mint, chervil, marjoram, oregano,
rosemary and thyme are now retailed in major supermarkets alongside fresh fruit and
vegetables. Consumers can buy them throughout the year in plastic hanging packs under
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