It is arguably the most talked about speech of the year back home. Every Prinsjesdag always landing on the third Tuesday of September King Willem-Alexander takes the stage on behalf of the cabinet to lay out the government's plans and policies for the upcoming parliamentary year.
This year had a neat little layer to it, too. Because Prinsjesdag happened to fall on the International Day of Democracy, the central theme really struck a chord: Democratie en Verbinding (Democracy and Connection). There was a genuine call for more community spirit and less polarization, with the King pointing out that true democracy goes way beyond just "the right of half plus one."
Naturally, sitting in front of the screen watching it all unfold from across the ocean, I got a bit hungry. So, I did what any self-respecting Dutchie would do and grabbed the most popular Dutch chips out there: Paprika chips.
If you've lived in Canada for a while, you already know you literally cannot find this flavor on regular Canadian grocery shelves. But back in the Netherlands? It is by far the undisputed king of the chip aisle. It's got that subtle, warm, sweet-and-smoky profile from the ground pepper—never spicy, never super tangy, just absolute comfort in a bag.
Sometimes, catching up on home news just isn't complete without a taste of it.
