Ingredient Substitution Guide
Cooking in the Netherlands and missing a key bottle or paste? Check where to find each staple at Albert Heijn, Jumbo, or Amazing Oriental — and the exact ratios that work when you need a Tuesday-night substitute from your own cupboard.
Fish Sauce
The complete guide: what fish sauce is, why it smells like that but tastes divine, and how to substitute it if you're cooking vegetarian or vegan.
Availability in NL
Toko / Asian supermarkets (Megachef, Red Boat, wide selection); Dutch supermarkets (often store brand or Squid Brand)
Best Substitute
Soy sauce + finely cut nori sheet (1:1 + quarter sheet of nori)
Galangal
The complete expat guide: why galangal is not just 'Thai ginger', where to find it in the Netherlands, and how to smartly substitute it.
Availability in NL
Toko / Asian supermarket (usually fresh and frozen); Dutch supermarkets (often dried galangal powder, fresh limited by branch)
Best Substitute
Approximation: 1 tbsp fresh ginger + ½ tsp lime zest, or 1 tsp galangal powder (warmer/earthier than fresh galangal)
Gochujang
The complete guide for expats: exactly what gochujang is, where to buy it in the Netherlands, and how to replace it when you're out.
Availability in NL
Toko / Asian supermarkets (wide selection); larger Dutch supermarkets (often Sempio)
Best Substitute
Miso + chili flakes + honey (1:1:1 teaspoons)
Harissa (North African Chili Paste)
Out of harissa or rose harissa? Use our 30-second swap with sambal, tomato paste, and cumin, plus the difference between tube and jar harissa in the Netherlands.
Availability in NL
Mild jar harissa and rose harissa at Albert Heijn and Jumbo (Souq, Al'Fez, Belazu); fiery concentrated Tunisian harissa in red-and-yellow tubes or tins (Le Phare du Cap Bon, DEA) at every Turkish and Moroccan supermarket plus the world-food aisle at Albert Heijn.
Best Substitute
2 tsp sambal oelek + 1 tsp tomato paste + 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil + ½ tsp ground cumin + ½ tsp ground coriander + ¼ tsp smoked paprika (per 1 tbsp harissa)
Ketjap Manis
Out of ketjap manis? Use our exact 1:1 substitute ratio with regular soy sauce and brown sugar, plus a comparison of Bango, ABC, Conimex, and gluten-free swaps.
Availability in NL
Every Dutch supermarket (Conimex, Bango, ABC) and all Asian supermarkets / tokos
Best Substitute
Approximation: 1 part regular soy sauce + 1 part palm sugar or dark brown sugar, simmered 2–3 min until syrupy
Lemongrass (Sereh)
Out of fresh lemongrass (sereh)? Use our exact substitute ratios for dried lemongrass powder, lime zest + ginger, and paste, plus Dutch buying and freezer tips.
Availability in NL
Fresh stalks in 2–3 packs at Albert Heijn and Jumbo (produce aisle); large bundles (10–15 stalks) and frozen stalks at Asian supermarkets / tokos (Amazing Oriental, Wah Nam Hong); dried lemongrass powder (serehpoeder) and bottled paste in the Asian aisle of almost every Dutch supermarket.
Best Substitute
1 strip unwaxed lime or lemon zest + 1 thin coin bruised fresh ginger (for broths/stews) OR 1 tsp ground lemongrass powder per stalk (for pastes/marinades)
Mirin
The complete expat guide: what mirin is, why the bottle at Albert Heijn isn't the real deal, and how to substitute it without ruining your dish.
Availability in NL
Larger supermarkets such as AH and Jumbo (usually mirin-fu / imitation mirin like Saitaku); toko and Japanese grocers (real Hon Mirin)
Best Substitute
Sake + sugar (1 tbsp sake + 1 tsp sugar)
Miso (Japanese Miso Paste)
Out of white or red miso paste for soup, ramen, glazes, or dressings? Use our 5 ranked miso substitutes with exact ratios, plus shiro vs. aka miso in the Netherlands.
Availability in NL
White and dark miso pouches or jars at Albert Heijn and Jumbo (Saitaku, ItSU) and Ekoplaza (Terrasana, pasteurized); unpasteurized chilled tubs (500 g to 1 kg) in the refrigerator case at Asian supermarkets / tokos (Amazing Oriental, Wah Nam Hong, Tjin's Toko — Hikari Miso, Marukome, Sempio).
Best Substitute
2 tsp white tahini + 1 tsp soy sauce (for thick glazes, miso butter & dressings) OR 1.5 tsp soy sauce + ½ tsp mirin (for broths, ramen & soup)
Oyster Sauce (Chinese & Thai Oyster Sauce)
Out of oyster sauce or cooking vegetarian? Discover the 5 best substitutes (including the 30-second soy sauce + sugar + cornstarch trick and mushroom sauce).
Availability in NL
Standard oyster sauce (Go-Tan, Kikkoman, Amoy, Lee Kum Kee Panda) and vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce at Albert Heijn and Jumbo; high-extract premium oyster sauces (Lee Kum Kee Premium, Maekrua, Megachef) and shiitake stir-fry sauces at Amazing Oriental and local tokos.
Best Substitute
1 tbsp vegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce (1:1 vegan match) OR 1 tbsp soy sauce + ½ tsp dark brown sugar + ¼ tsp cornstarch (best 30-second pantry formula per 1 tbsp oyster sauce)
Rice Vinegar (Japanese & Asian Rice Vinegar)
Out of rice vinegar? Discover the 5 best substitutes (like apple cider vinegar + sugar), how it differs from sushi vinegar and mirin, plus a DIY sushi-zu ratio.
Availability in NL
Unseasoned rice vinegar and pre-seasoned sushi vinegar in the Asian aisle at Albert Heijn and Jumbo (Saitaku, Kikkoman, Go-Tan); authentic Japanese and Chinese rice vinegars (Mizkan, Marukan, Kong Yen, Chinkiang) at Amazing Oriental and local Asian supermarkets.
Best Substitute
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar + ¼ tsp fine caster sugar (best all-round for sushi rice, stir-fry glazes & poké bowls) OR ¾ tbsp white wine vinegar + ¼ tbsp water + ¼ tsp sugar (for clean quick pickles & dipping sauces)
Shrimp Paste (Indonesian Trassi / Terasi / Malaysian Belacan)
Out of trassi (shrimp paste) or cooking vegan? Discover the 5 best substitutes (including red miso & fish sauce), how Dutch trassi bakar works, and exact ratios.
Availability in NL
Pre-toasted blocks and jars (Conimex Trassi Oedang, Koh-I-Noor Trassi Bakar) and vegetarian trassi (Faja Lobi Vega Trassie) at Albert Heijn and Jumbo; raw and toasted Indonesian terasi, Malaysian belacan, and Thai kapi at Amazing Oriental and local Asian supermarkets.
Best Substitute
1 tsp dark/red miso paste (aka miso) + drop of sesame oil (best 100% vegan & shellfish-free substitute for ½ tsp trassi) OR 1 tsp fish sauce (best non-vegetarian 1-to-1 marine umami match)
Tahini (Sesame Paste)
Out of tahini for hummus, baba ganoush, or falafel sauce? Use our 5 ranked tahini substitutes with exact ratios, plus white vs. dark tahin in the Netherlands.
Availability in NL
Pourable white Levantine tahini (Al Yaman, Al Nakhil, Sebahat, and Souq) at every Turkish and Arabic supermarket plus the Middle Eastern aisle of Albert Heijn and Jumbo; thicker, darker unhulled tahin (Terrasana, Horizon) at Ekoplaza, Odin, and organic health food stores.
Best Substitute
100% cashew butter or white almond butter (1:1 for hummus) OR sunflower seed butter (1:1 nut- and sesame-free) OR full-fat Greek yogurt + extra-virgin olive oil (for falafel sauce and baba ganoush)
Tamarind
The complete guide: the difference between tamarind paste, concentrate, and block, where to buy it in the Netherlands, and how to substitute it if you run out.
Availability in NL
Larger Dutch supermarkets such as AH and Jumbo (usually ready-to-use tamarind paste); toko (blocks, concentrate, and pods)
Best Substitute
Fresh lime juice + dark brown caster sugar (1 tbsp + ½ tbsp)