When Dutch people are abroad for a longer period of time, they often miss their brown sandwich with cheese. In addition to cheese it is also a typically Dutch custom to combine bread with a sweet filling. ‘Gestampte muisjes’ (aniseed sugar crumble), flakes, ‘chocoladehagelslag’ (chocolate confetti), ‘gekleurde hagelslag’ (colored confetti), apple syrup, molasses, ‘speculaasjes’ (spiced cookies) and ‘peperkoek’ (gingerbread): all of these are fillings that you will have trouble finding abroad.

The tradition of combining bread and sweet filling originated with ‘beschuit met muisjes’ (rusk with aniseed comfits). It was introduced in the Netherlands by De Ruijter in 1860. The habit of eating aniseed when babies are born existed already, but De Ruijter introduced aniseed ‘muisjes’ - aniseed with a crunchy sugar crust. Not much later, this was followed by the variant of aniseed sugar crumble because the other variety was too hard for the teeth of older people to crack. Occasioned by the aniseed crumble the demand for sweet bread filling in the Netherlands increased. 1928 saw the introduction of the colored confetti - elongated crumbs of colored sugar. In the 1950s they were followed by chocolate flakes and chocolate confetti in the flavors milk, plain, and white and brown. And in 2000 the Dutch still yearn for new varieties of sweet fillings: ‘bosvruchtenhagel’ (forest fruit confetti) is the latest novelty in sweet filling.

Bread dull? It all depends on what you combine it with. Sandwiches with different colors of confetti, aniseed comfits and flakes can turn life in your sandwich box into a genuine feast. Just try it. And for advanced bread eaters: sweet bread filling may also be combined excellently with hearty. Apple syrup and cheese, for one, is a widely relished combination. (HB)

Next time: food for thought with the Dutch