Koppert Cress

Who's behind it

Koppert Cress is based in Monster, in the heart of the Westland between The Hague and Rotterdam. Rob Baan took over the business in 2002 and built it into an international supplier for gastronomy. The assortment now includes over thirty cresses, besides microgreens, edible flowers and leaf. The work is on plates worldwide; Dutch media reports delivery to around 70,000 restaurants. According to the company, the greenhouses produce more energy than they consume, and everything grows locally, so food miles stay short. For you as a chef that means reliable supply: the same leaf and the same flavor, year-round.

Why this cress

A cress is a concentrated flavor-maker. Affila Cress gives you the sweet flavor of fresh peas, raw. Atsina Cress brings anise and tarragon. Oyster Leaf tastes like fresh oyster, with a note of iodine. Sechuan Button makes your tongue tingle and draws saliva, which lifts acid and fat. The plants grow in a controlled environment where light, water, temperature and air are tuned for flavor. They arrive alive, with their roots, and keep for days longer on your mise en place. You cut or pick only as you plate, so the aroma stays in the leaf.

In your kitchen

You work with small amounts. One small bowl of Oyster Leaf gives a dish a briny layer. Guests remember Sechuan Button: the tingle turns an amuse into a talking point at the table. Pair the spicy cresses with fat and acid, and the flowers and leaf with texture and color. Because you dose small, your cost per plate stays low. Mention the origin from Monster on your menu.