Ask an Expat: Hagelslag and other Dutch treats
japra | Mar 11, 2010 | Comments 15
Mini boxes for sampling :-)
When Mr. DJ first started working here in Den Haag a couple of years ago, he would often bring back these little boxes of sprinkles for Roxi. We couldn’t believe that the Dutch ate sprinkles on their toast for BREAKFAST. When we moved here last Summer, Roxi ate this every day. Hagelslag normally is sold in large boxes… maybe the size of a Girl Scout thin mint box. The Dutch company De Ruijter makes sprinkles in several different flavours: milk chocolate, dark chocolate, white chocolate, mixed, fruit flavoured, and sugar coated anise seeds.
My Dutch language instructor told me that new parents serve the sugar coated anise seeds (called Muisjes) to their guests when a new baby is born. Beschuit (a twice baked toast round) is lightly buttered and then covered with either pink + white or blue + white sprinkles. A nice tradition, I think :-)
Here is how we like to eat our sprinkles:
Take one beschuit (or regular toast is fine), spread lightly with butter…
and top with chocolate flakes (vlokken),
or chocolate sprinkles,
or fruity sprinkles. Heerlijk! Delicious!
And while we are on the subject of food, Aledys asked me: I have a question for you, related to shopping for groceries: do you ever get things sent over from home, things that you can’t do without and you can’t find here in NL?
Aledys, I never special order items from the US. However, if someone is coming over and they ask if we want anything from the States, I do have a standard list: hazlenut coffee, marshmallows and marshmallow cream (though not so often anymore), specific US candy for Roxi to share with her homesick friends (peanut butter cups, twizzlers, smarties, candy corn), and Bounce dryer sheets. When my mother-in-law comes, she sometimes brings a case of root beer for Roxi. When we visit the US during Christmas time, we usually buy the things previously mentioned plus large containers of vitamins, spices, parmesan goldfish (lol!), and whatever treats strike our fancy at the time. Interestingly, the longer we are over here, the fewer things from home we crave. I am sure it is the same with you, isn’t it?
As we contemplate our move back to the UK, I am thinking of which Dutch goodies I might stock up on: stroopwafels, beschuit, hagelslag, Cruesli met chocolade…
Here’s one last foodie item. Mr. DJ went to the store last weekend and found this interesting substitute for marshmallow peeps:
They are Gesuikerde Haasjes or sugar coated bunnies. And they taste like sugar coated circus peanuts!
That’s it for this round of Ask an Expat. As always, if you have a question for me please leave it in the comments and I’ll try to answer them next Thursday :-)
About the Author: JaPRA is an expat Texan living in England with her husband (Mr. DJ), their 17-year old daughter (Roxi), and their dog Trudy.
I think it’s interesting that you want less from the U.S. I don’t know what I’d miss the most if I left. Maybe ice since I hear that you can never get ice in your drink in Europe. Is that true?
Julia, I think I’ll talk about this next week. Good one!
those Dutch ‘peeps’ will come in handy for Easter!
LOL, Christine. Actually we all ate one and decided that we’d better not have anymore. They were interesting but a bit too sweet for us!
The only thing I missed was peanut butter when I lived in Norway. I adapted quite quickly to a Norwegian diet and their treats.
Mommy Lisa, I think part of being a successful expat is the ability to embrace the local culture and goodies. I mean it’s ok to crave something from home sometimes, but if you focus too much on it, it can make you crazy :-)
Gosh you eat a lot of sweet stuff don’t you? :0
LOL, actually we don’t, Akelamalu. But I thought that sauteed courgettes, salmon croquettes, stir fry, pasta, Kale soup, etc weren’t as tantalising as sugared bunnies, chocolate in cereal, Dutch cakes and stroopwafels ;-)
Hagelslag brings back funny memories for me. When my husband first started working in Den Haag, he couldn’t get over the fact that they were in the lunch canteen. He saw grown men putting them on their bread! Of course, my children loved them.:)
LOL that *is* funny! I think it is a good thing the Dutch get so much exercise. Some of these treats are waaaay off our normal diet!
Thanks, JaPRA! :o)
Many of the things you mention are new to me, of course! But I see what you mean. I have to say, that even when I’ve been living here for 7 years already, I still miss lots of things from home which are difficult to get here. But, as you say, whenever I leave the NL to go on a holiday back to Argentina, I think of “lekkernijen” to take along with me ;o) “Stroopwaffels” have become very popular among my family there in Argentina. Another thing they liked (and I like, of course) is the “kokosbrood” with raisins which, by the way, the Dutch also have with their breakfasts.
I love me the marshmallow peeps! Did you see the competition at National Geographic Traveler magazine? It’s Peeps photographed at different sites. I’ll get the link and put it here. You should photograph them around your city!
those toasts? marvy.
here’s the link: http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2010/03/peeps-in-places.html
auntie pat loves the chocolate sprinkles….she got hooked on it when she went to holland in 2004…..we always have some in the cupboard…
Could you please tell me if you found the hagelslag in a shop somewhere in London? I’m looking for some as a gift and finding it near impossible to source..
Thanks in advance.
Hi Jacklyn, I’ve not seen it here… Have you tried online?