COMPETITION
THAT WAS HAGUE'S MEAT, RECIPE
FROM THE CITY
Every year, leading up to May 5th, the Hague Hap competition takes place. Students from seven secondary schools in The Hague compete for the title of tastiest side dish for Freedom Soup. The winning dishes are served to all 500 guests at the Meal of the City and at the Hague Freedom Meal for young people on the Malieveld.
The competition is more than just a cooking contest. Young people will discuss freedom, meet other young people, gain insights into different perspectives, and thus actively contribute to the valuable May 5th tradition.
Collaboration between Young Impact & Madurodam Children's Fund
This year marks the first collaboration with Young Impact, an organization that inspires and empowers young people to make a positive impact on the world through their talents and passions. The Hague Hap competition is linked to their curriculum on freedom, developed by Young Impact in collaboration with the National Committee for 4 and 5 May. This increases the project's social impact. The cooking competition is the challenge within this curriculum and is organized in collaboration with the Madurodam Children's Fund, which aims to draw young people out of their inner circle and connect them with others to foster greater understanding. The competition finale will take place at Madurodam on April 8th.
The Hague Hap competition
Participating schools
This year, seven schools are participating in the Hague Hap competition. Students from Dalton, De Einder, the Johan de Witt Scholengroep, the Hague Montessori Lyceum, Maris College Bohemen and Waldeck, and The European School will compete in the kitchen for the title of tastiest side dish. But there's more. The project will begin immediately after the spring break at the participating schools. In addition to completing the curriculum, the program will also include designing and developing their own side dish—a dish they associate with home or their identity. Preparing the story behind the dish is also part of the program. After this preparatory phase, teachers will select a winning group from each school, who will compete in the finals at Madurodam. On April 8th, a side dish from each participating school will be presented to the official jury of the Hague Freedom Meals. Naturally, the entire class from each school will be invited that day to cheer on the finalists. All students present will also receive a special program, including a tour of Madurodam.
Passing on tradition to a new generation
The final is not just a cooking competition, but a day full of connection, inspiration, and stories. Together with Young Impact and the Madurodam Children's Fund, the Hague Freedom Meals Foundation is creating a meaningful program that challenges young people to think about freedom, living together, and the power of eating together. The Hague Hap competition, especially with the expansion of the project, thus provides a very concrete way to involve The Hague's educational institutions and the younger demographic in the Hague Freedom Meals. This is a definite goal of the organizers. After all, they are the generation that can carry on, renew, and pass on the May 5th tradition to future generations.
WINNERS 2023
Joke, Anita, Avantina, Priya, and Joanne made a side dish for the Freedom Soup in 2023. They share their dish in The Hague Finest's Soup Stories. Food blogger Priya : "For me, food is also a form of freedom."
