Story

Kapsalon

Barbers and deep-fried snacks

a man sitting at a table eats a fast food dish with a plastic fork, while a young boy sits beside him eating fries.

Discover the Dutch dish kapsalon and learn about its origins

by
Susan Muthalaly (opens in new window) (Europeana Foundation)

Rotterdam is home to a gorgeous harbour, no-nonsense citizens, multiculturalism and quirky architecture. What you may not know about this Dutch city is its contribution to the world's fast-food heritage –  kapsalon, meaning barbershop.

The dish is believed to have been invented by a barber from the El Aviva barbershop. He asked the Turkish lunchroom across the street to make a dish with his favourite things – shavings of kebab meat, fries, melted cheese and salad. And so kapsalon was born!

a man sitting at a table eats a fast food dish with a plastic fork, while a young boy sits beside him eating fries.
a man wearing a cloth tweed flat-cap eats a fast food dish in foil with a plastic fork.
two men eat fast food dishes from plates in a small cafe, plates and crockery are in the foreground with two large yellow bottles on the counter beside them.

These photographs are part of a series by Dutch photographer Joris den Blaauwen. He was commissioned by Museum Rotterdam to document snack and fast-food culture in the city.

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