Hagelslag facts for kids
Hagelslag, (Dutch: /ˈɦaː.ɣəlˌslɑx/) are small, oblong, sweet-tasting chocolate granules, which are sprinkled on slices of bread or rusks previously buttered. The name refers to the hail: hagel – hail and neerslag – precipitation.
These are eaten traditionally by the Dutch for breakfast or lunch. Hagelslag is a typical Dutch food item that is not available in other countries; the exception are Suriname, the former Dutch Antilles and Indonesia (former Dutch colonies), where one can buy hagelslag in stores. In those regions, customers generally use hagelslag to decorate desserts and cakes.
Another variant is hagelslag vlokken (vlokken - flakes), i.e. chocolate flakes to sprinkle on sandwiches. There are other flavors of hagelslag - chocoladehagelslag (chocolate-flavored) or vruchtenhagel (fruit-flavored).
The history of hagelslag
According to historical records from the Amsterdam City Archives, hagelslag was originally invented by B.E. Dieperink, the director of the liquorice sweet company VENCO, in 1919. VENCO obtained a patent for the name, which meant that other companies, such as De Ruijter, were not permitted to use the term to describe their own products. Consequently, De Ruijter opted to name their sprinkles based on their flavors, using the term “hagel” after the flavor (such as vruchtenhagel). De Ruijter introduced competition to VENCO with their assortment of flavors, including lemon, raspberry, orange, and aniseed. According to some sources, the tradition of Dutch sprinkles can be traced back to 1919, when a licorice factory in Amsterdam developed sprinkles with an aniseed flavor.
Similar products
In other countries, a whole range of products similar to hagelslag are used as confectionery sprinkles to decorate cakes, cookies, desserts, and ice cream. Sprinkles are available worldwide, and are used to create fairy bread, a kids' birthday dessert from Australia, consisting of buttered bread with those on top. There are a lot of varieties when it comes to shape (novelty-shaped sprinkles are called confetti candy, but the majority of sprinkles are rod-shaped. Nonpareils (also known as hundreds and thousands in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) are similar to sprinkles (and those names are often used interchangeably), but round instead of rod-shaped. Dutch, apart from hagelslag, also eat muisjes (little mice), which are anise seeds covered in sugary shell.
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Blue and white muisjes on buttered bread
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Round-shaped sprinkles
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Rod-shaped sprinkles
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Nonpareils on a piece of chocolate candy
See also
In Spanish: Fideos de chocolate para niños
