Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Ontbijt (Breakfast)


Known in the Netherlands as Hagelslag, sprinkles (yes, sprinkles) are a very common breakfast food here.


Generally served on bread with margarine, I bet it's not what you'd expect to see ... I mean the Dutch are serious people that eat for sustenance, not taste, right?


Not in the case of hagelslag. You can find vruchtenhagel (fruit sprinkles, like the picture at left), chocolate, white chocolate, white anise, and so on. If you're really special you can get chocoladevlokken (chocolate shavings, pictured below).


And don't think they're just for kids. You see people of all ages enjoying hagelslag. If you don't believe me, here's the Wiki entry (in Dutch). According to this site, the Dutch eat 14 million kilo per year. Among 16 million people, that's almost a kilo per person.

Just one of the many unexpected aspects of life here in the Netherlands.



Check out the other City Daily Photo Blogs participating in the August 1 "Typical Breakfast" Theme Day: Saint Paul (MN), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - New York City (NY), USA - Tel Aviv, Israel - Hyde, UK - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Mainz, Germany - Stockholm, Sweden - Paderborn, Germany - Singapore, Singapore - Haninge, Sweden - Nottingham, UK - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Manila, Philippines - Boston (MA), USA - Seoul, Korea - Singapore, Singapore - Joplin (MO), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Paris, France - Sequim (WA), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Boston (MA), USA - Chennai, India - Madison (WI), USA - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Toulouse, France - Seattle (WA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - La Antigua, Guatemala - Selma (AL), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Lubbock (TX), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Sheki, Azerbaijan - Sydney, Australia - Mumbai, India - Seoul, South Korea - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - New Orleans (LA), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Villigen, Switzerland - Montréal (QC), Canada - Stayton (OR), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Moscow, Russia - Springfield (MO), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - Arlington (VA), USA - Cologne (NRW), Germany - Anderson (SC), USA - Oslo, Norway - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Manila, Philippines - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Stavanger, Norway - Bastia, France - Hong Kong, China - Wailea (HI), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Sydney, Australia - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Kansas City (MO), USA - Grenoble, France - Paris, France - Evry, France - Saigon, Vietnam - Prague, Czech Republic - Cape Town, South Africa - Brookville (OH), USA - Brussels, Belgium - San Diego (CA), USA


Eet Smakelijk!

39 comments:

Kate said...

My granddaughter loves breakfast, and she's go crazy over this one!!

Lavenderlady said...

I had no idea...great post.

Sally said...

That's a hoot. I prefer more "traditional" Dutch breakfasts - some ham, cheese, maybe yoghurt?

But I don't get on at all well with sweet stuff at breakfast!

Informative post!

don said...

yep, we dutch are " sweet" people. I have also a post about hagelslag. I have only the dark hagelslag at house. I have a friend in his house at the morning you will see about six different kind of hagelslag.When we were young we may only 1 slice of bread with hagelslag

Carol E. said...

I just love theme days! The photos are all of such variety, and there is always something fun to learn, like your post about hagelslag.

Neva said...

Dutch version of the doughnut! Looks very sweet!

jb said...

Used to do business with a company in Utrecht and this for breakfast was one of the drivers for an overnight stay...!

Kim said...

WOW! That's such an interesting post. And I love your photos. I would not dream such a breakfast existed.
-Kim

travelphilippines said...

yummm sprinkler.....

Jilly said...

Looks like something children would eat for tea. I always knew the Dutch had that wonderful childlike quality of enjoying life!

I've only seen my Dutch friends eat cheese and ham at breakfast, along with breads, of course - never this. Fascinating.

Gerald (SK14) said...

I was kinda expecting pancakes for b/fast in Holland but this is different.

Olivier said...

je ne connaissais pas, mais je me sentirais bien attirer par ceux chocolats ;o)


I did not know, but I would smell myself well to attract by those chocolates ;o)

Anonymous said...

This came as a total shocker for me. I just can't imagine it. It looks good but I wonder about the taste. I like sweet things but not on bread, bread.

Brookville Daily Photo-Theme Day

Keropokman said...

ooo... i thought those are breakfast for Barbie Dolls. so so pink! haha..


I like the 3 other chocolaty version belows. I think I can finish all 3 of them!

Jules said...

How surprising !!We call this "fairy bread" in Australia and it is a food children like to have at their birthday party or on a special occassion - but I have never seen adults eating it - well not in public!!!!

Emilieee said...

It looks lovely. So colorful until I couldn't bare to eat them! :)

Steve Buser said...

Not my kind of breakfast, but I could be persuaded.
--steve buser
New Orleans Daily Photo

Anonymous said...

This is something completely unexpected and wonderful. Thank you!

Zanabel
Olympia Daily Photo

JaamZIN said...

the first one is really very unique

iBlowfish said...

Very interesting post regarding breakfast. This could be an idea for trying something new for breakfast.

Janet said...

We put sprinkles on cake and ice cream. Never thought of eating them for breakfast! Maybe I will try there. A very colorful meal!

Anonymous said...

You learn something new everyday and today this was it for me. I never would have imagined and now I can't wait to visit and try this!

Lessie said...

Wow! This is a surprise! But how delightful!

Unknown said...

My kids would die for this kind of breakfast!

Port Angeles Daily Photo

M. CHRISTOPHE said...

We are surprised to see your breakfast...at first sigh we though it was little sweet on a piece of bread....we have learned something today...that's DP ;-)

None YourBusiness said...

When visiting my Dutch friends, that is exactly what they ate every morning!

I wondered how they weren't fat...

jeremyDP said...

I'd taste the chocolate one, why not. thanx for the information, i never heard of it.

Z said...

Saw Don's version earlier, was very surprised at first. But I eat bread with Nutella, or even butter-and-sugar or sometimes bread and a piece of a chocolate bar, and they're not really that different when you come down to it. I should try the chocolate shavings.

lv2scpbk said...

Never seen anyone doing this. I think I'll stick to yogurt.

WichitaKsDailyPhoto said...

I've had bread with butter and sugar -- or jelly, or jam. As someone else commented, we sometimes put sprinkles on cake frosting, and on ice cream. I've seen pop tarts with sprinkles, too. I've never seen bread prepared with sprinkles, but now that I have, I'm sure to try it.

Tomate Farcie said...

How fun and creative!! As I am making my way through the breakfast around the world, I can't believe what people have posted for this theme day. You guys are all awesome for doing this daly city thing!

Ann (MobayDP) said...

Ha! I love it!
I have never heard of Hagelslag but rest assured I will definitely be conducting my own research on this breakfast starting tomorrow! Maybe I'll even have it for lunch and dinner as well :D
I suspect the chocolate shavings will be my favourite though :-D

Poly said...

Tanks for the comment. I enjoy your blog.

Poly

NorthBayPhoto said...

Fantastic photo and super information of an unusual breakfast item for the Netherlands. I wonder if the sprinkles are as sweet as maple butter?

Thanks for visiting my NorthBayPhoto blog.

Anonymous said...

I don't mind eating that! I've got a sweet tooth.

Could you include me in your breakfast links please? Ta!


joy
Norwich Daily Photo

Denton said...

Fruit sprinkles seen very reasonable and health ... but maybe not as much fun.

Sunkyoung said...

I'm not a fan of chocholate but, of all different hagelslags, I like chocohagel the most.

Anonymous said...

I have to admit, this is a shock. I've visited Amsterdam but never saw sprinkles for breakfast. Herring, yes. Sprinkles, no. I must have gone to the wrong cafes.

Jo's-D-Eyes said...

Hi RR,
Its very strange to read our habits through your eyes and way of thinking, I might even eat more than 1 kilo a year! I think I eat that in 3 months... for sure... (sorry!)

Don't forget the chocolate pasta, I eat that in my 'kwark' for breakfast (1 spoon a cup) and of ourse on top some hagelslag. Why not?

The fruity tasted hagelslag, is not that common I thought? Chocolate is more our favorite taste.

I like your Dutch site.

From Holland JoAnn