Stroopwafels for the pigs

Did you immediately know what you were looking at?

If you think of a Dutch market, you think of syrup waffles. Preferably the XXXL variety – still warm and fresh from the waffle iron and wrapped in red and white checkered paper to prevent the syrup oozing out onto your hand. But with this mountain of syrup waffles, you get a completely different feeling.

The photographer who produced this artwork, Kadir van Lohuizen, researched into the Dutch food industry. Where is the food made, to whom is it sold, what is left over? Kadir was shocked with what he discovered.

A mountain of leftover syrup waffles would be thrown in the rubbish bin. That’s what we thought. Well, it turns out that’s not the case.

Did you know that Dutch pigs and chickens are partially fed with rejected batches of syrup waffles, wine gums, cream cakes and other sugary treats?

On the subject of pigs: Kadir discovered that 20,000 pigs are slaughtered each day at the Netherlands’ largest pig slaughterhouse. The heads, feet and offal are exported to China. The ribs to America. The hams go to Spain and Italy, which are then sold back to us as Italian Parma ham and Spanish Serrano ham.

They say that syrup waffles used to be called armenkoeken (poor people’s biscuits) back in the 19th century. Made from broken biscuits and leftover dough: really cheap.

Did you know that there are more syrup waffles in our collection? Co Westerik painted Vingers met stroopwafel (Fingers with syrup waffle). Co was amazed by everyday situations and compels you to look at ordinary things in a new way.