Zeeuwse bolus facts for kids
A Zeeuwse bolus with butter
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| Alternative names | Bolus, jikkemine |
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| Type | Pastry |
| Place of origin | Netherlands |
| Region or state | Zeeland |
| Main ingredients | Dough, treacle, cinnamon |
A Zeeuwse bolus (pronounced like ZAY-oo-suh BOH-lus) is a yummy, sweet pastry. It comes from the Dutch province of Zeeland. People often call them just "bolus" or "bolussen" (plural).
These pastries are made from a white bread dough. The dough is rolled in dark brown sugar, shaped into a spiral, and baked. Sometimes, a little lemon zest or cinnamon is added. Each baker might make their bolus a bit differently! People in Zeeland often enjoy a bolus with their coffee. Some even spread butter on the flat bottom of the pastry.
There's also another type of pastry called "Bolus" in the Netherlands. These are often ginger boles, filled with ginger. Or they can be orangeade boles, which have orangeade and almond meal. These boles are golden yellow and come in a paper cup. They are very sticky because of the syrup, so you usually need a spoon to eat them!
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The Sweet History of the Bolus
The Zeeuwse bolus has a long and interesting history. It was first made in Zeeland in the early 1600s. Jewish bakers, mostly from a region in Portugal called Alentejo, created the first versions.
There is proof of a Portuguese Jewish community in Zeeland. You can find signs of them at the Jewish cemetery in Middelburg. These early Jewish bakers made the first bolus. Later, bakers in Zeeland made the bolus even better. They sometimes used special steam ovens to keep the cinnamon pastry soft and tender.
Who Bakes the Best Bolus?
For many years, boluses were judged in baking contests. These contests also included bread, cakes, and other pastries.
Since 1998, there's been a special event called "bolus week." Every year, on a Tuesday in the 12th week, the Bolusbaking Championships Zeeland take place. The Dutch Bakery Centre organizes this fun competition. Bakers who want to compete bring eight of their best boluses to be judged.
A group of judges, including bakers and people from a company called Zeelandia, pick the top ten boluses. Then, the audience gets to choose the winner from these ten! The baker who wins gets the "Bolus Trophy." They also get to be called the "Best Bolus Baker" for a whole year!
Some past winners include:
- Iman Izeboud from Koudekerke (2002)
- Jan Dees from Zaamslag (who won three times: 1989, 2004, and 2009)
- Mr. Bliek from Middelburg (2005)
- Wilfred Droppers from Zierikzee (2007)
- Mr. Voordijk from Goes (2008)
Bolus Around the World
The bolus is known as a pastry that started with Jewish communities. It has traveled all over the world as people moved to different places. This spreading of people and their culture is called the diaspora.
Today, you can find boluses sold in many cities far from Zeeland. For example, they are sold in Jerusalem, Moscow, and even in Paris and the south of France.
What Does "Bolus" Mean?
The word "bolus" comes from Yiddish, a language often spoken by Jewish people. The Dutch dictionary, Van Dale, explains that "bolus" or "boles" is the plural form of "bole." This word "bole" comes from the Spanish word bollo, which means "bun." It can also come from bola, which means "ball."
