Typical Dutch: Hagelslag

"Hagelslag" was one of the first Dutch words I learned way back when I first visited the Netherlands. Actually, the phrase, "Spreek je Engels?" comprised the first, second, and third words that I learned, so I suppose that "hagelslag" was technically the fourth word in my growing Dutch vocabulary.

My first encounter with hagelslag was at a breakfast buffet at a hotel in Groningen. While perusing the food options, I became extremely confused as to why there were chocolate sprinkles in the breakfast buffet, but no cupcakes or ice cream in sight. So, I asked the attendant, who explained to me that, in the Netherlands, people eat chocolate sprinkles called "hagelslag" on bread for breakfast.  This is a typical Dutch breakfast item known as "boterham met hagelslag."

Amazed at this ingenious use of chocolate sprinkles, I decided to try it for myself, and went about toasting my bread, spreading some jam on it, and then topping it with some of the dark chocolate ("puur") sprinkles from the buffet. I felt a little bit sheepish about eating chocolate sprinkles for breakfast, but they were very tasty.

The "hagelslag aisle:" The large amount of space in Dutch supermarkets devoted to hagelslag
has led me to conclude that these chocolate sprinkles are a staple of the Dutch diet. 

Since moving to the Netherlands, I've learned that the correct way to consume hagelslag is to sprinkle it on untoasted bread that is covered with butter or margarine.  Despite this, I continue to toast my bread first because I prefer my chocolate sprinkles to be slightly melty.  I'm also guilty of using hagelslag as a cupcake topping.

This photo of my home-made chocolate cupcakes topped with hagelslag
demonstrates a controversial use of the Dutch sprinkles.