Mosbolletjies facts for kids
Mosbolletjies is sweetened, leavened yeast bun flavoured with caraway and or anise seed
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| Course | Dessert |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | South Africa |
| Region or state | Cape Winelands |
| Created by | N/A |
| Invented | late 1600s–1700s |
| Main ingredients | Flour, salt, butter, sugar, yeast, grape juice, milk, aniseed |
| Variations | Multiple |
Mosbolletjies (say "moss-bol-LET-jees") is a yummy, sweet bread or bun from South Africa. It's a traditional treat made by the Afrikaners and Cape Dutch people. You'll find it especially in the Western Cape province, where lots of wine is made.
The name "Mosbolletjies" comes from the Afrikaans language. Mos means "partially fermented grape juice" (which is grape juice that has just started to turn into wine). Bolletjies means "little balls" or "buns." So, it's like "grape juice buns"!
These tasty buns are often served with tea or coffee. If you dry them out, they become a type of rusk, which is a hard, crunchy biscuit perfect for dipping.
How Mosbolletjies Began
Mosbolletjies has a cool history! This special bun was first made by French people called Huguenots. They were refugees who came to South Africa in 1688 and settled in a town called Franschhoek. These Huguenots were experts at growing grapes and making wine, a skill called viticulture.
Mosbolletjies were usually baked during the time of year when grapes were harvested and wine was being made. This was because the main ingredient, the grape juice, was easy to find then.
What Are Mosbolletjies Made Of?
Originally, Mosbolletjies were made using "grape must." This is the leftover juice, skins, and seeds from grapes after they've been pressed to make wine. This grape must was used as a leavening agent. A leavening agent is something that makes dough rise and become light and fluffy, like yeast does.
People also added spices like aniseed (which tastes a bit like liquorice) to the dough. Then, the mixed dough was baked. Today, most people use regular grape juice and yeast instead of grape must.
To make the buns, the dough is rolled into small balls. These balls are then packed very closely together in a baking tray. When they bake, they stick together, forming a loaf with lots of bumps. This makes it super easy to pull off individual buns to eat! It's a bit like an American dish called Monkey Bread.
See also
In Spanish: Mosbolletjies para niños
