Vlokken are chocolate flakes commonly served on bread in the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Belgium. They come in various flavors and are pressed lightly onto buttered bread. Other Dutch toppings include hagelslaag, kwinkslag, and muisjes. Similar candy toppings are popular in other parts of the world.
Vlokken is the Dutch word for bows. As a food product, it is a variety of chocolate chips that is typically served atop the sandwich. The sweets are sold in a variety of flavors and are one of several types of candy toppings served this way. They are a popular everyday breakfast food in the Netherlands, as well as the former Dutch colonies of Indonesia and Belgium.
To prepare vlokken in the most common Dutch way, a piece of untoasted bread is first spread with butter or margarine. Then a few spoonfuls of vlokken are sprinkled on the bread, usually in a layer thick enough to cover the entire surface. The chocolate is then pressed lightly so that it does not fall over when eaten.
Vlokken is sold in a huge range of colors, textures and flavors. Common flavors include dark, bittersweet, and white chocolate. Sometimes a combination of these are sold together. They usually come in curled, thin flakes.
Besides vlokken flakes, there are many other Dutch products that are sprinkled on bread. Hagelslaag and kwinkslag are candy sprinkles similar to the type used for desserts in several other cultures. Also known as hail, these candies are smaller, more uniform, and less brittle than vlokken. They are also more crunchy.
Muisjes are another type of Dutch dessert also served on a buttered baked product, although usually a biscuit instead of bread. They are a small, round, colorful candy made of sugar-coated aniseeds. They look similar to decorative nonpareils. Muisjes are traditionally served to celebrate a newborn, with pink and blue candies symbolizing girls and boys respectively. The candies are also served crushed on bread for daily consumption.
Although most Dutch people only eat vlokken open-faced and as breakfast food, the condiment is occasionally used in a variety of ways. The dessert can be eaten on its own as a snack or used to garnish desserts. It can also be served on top of other types of baked goods or with another slice of bread on top.
Candy similar to vlokken are also popular in other parts of the world, though more often for occasional rather than daily consumption. In the United States, small candies known as sprinkles are used to decorate desserts such as cakes, cookies, donuts and ice cream. In New Zealand and Australia, buttered bread sprinkles are called fairy bread and are commonly served to children for special events.
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