Ontbijtkoek
An ontbijtkoek (literally translated breakfast cake) or peperkoek (pepper cake) is a Dutch spiced cake. Rye is its most important ingredient, coloring the cake in light brown. It is often spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger, succade and nutmeg. Several parts of the Netherlands have their own local recipe, of which the most famous is "Oudewijvenkoek" (old woman's cake) which is mostly eaten in the northern regions, and is flavored with aniseed. Ontbijtkoek is traditionally served at breakfast with a thick layer of butter on top, as a replacement for bread. However, due to its sweet taste it is also served as a snack. But, this is sweetly-spiced, brown ginger cake really an authentic Dutch delicacy and make it such a favourite cake in the Netherlands
Origin of Ontbijtkoek
Whilst ontbijtkoek is extraordinarily popular in the Netherlands, it’s not actually a Dutch invention. In fact, a predecessor to the breakfast cake that we know and love today was already enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians more than 4000 years ago. During the reign of Pharaoh Ramses III, a cereal-based cake containing honey, cinnamon and pepper, was the favoured sacrificial offering to the gods for example, whilst the ancient Greeks were fond of a sweet cake that looked remarkably similar to modern day ontbijtkoek. Ancient writings showered Greek bakers with praise for their delicious version of breakfast cake, which famous philosopher, Socrates, often nibbled during his speeches. Even the Romans were fond of breakfast cake, a delicacy that they saved largely for special occasions. Indeed, most of our distant ancestors regarded breakfast cake as a luxury item because it contained pepper – a sought-after spice that was extremely scarce (and thus expensive) and widely attributed with special properties, such as an ability to ward off evil spirits.
Sources
@ http://www.thedutchtable.com/2010/02/ontbijtkoek-dutch-spice-bread.html
@ https://dutchcommunity.com/2014/08/27/the-history-of-dutch-ontbijtkoek/
An ontbijtkoek (literally translated breakfast cake) or peperkoek (pepper cake) is a Dutch spiced cake. Rye is its most important ingredient, coloring the cake in light brown. It is often spiced with cloves, cinnamon, ginger, succade and nutmeg. Several parts of the Netherlands have their own local recipe, of which the most famous is "Oudewijvenkoek" (old woman's cake) which is mostly eaten in the northern regions, and is flavored with aniseed. Ontbijtkoek is traditionally served at breakfast with a thick layer of butter on top, as a replacement for bread. However, due to its sweet taste it is also served as a snack. But, this is sweetly-spiced, brown ginger cake really an authentic Dutch delicacy and make it such a favourite cake in the Netherlands
Origin of Ontbijtkoek
Whilst ontbijtkoek is extraordinarily popular in the Netherlands, it’s not actually a Dutch invention. In fact, a predecessor to the breakfast cake that we know and love today was already enjoyed by the ancient Egyptians more than 4000 years ago. During the reign of Pharaoh Ramses III, a cereal-based cake containing honey, cinnamon and pepper, was the favoured sacrificial offering to the gods for example, whilst the ancient Greeks were fond of a sweet cake that looked remarkably similar to modern day ontbijtkoek. Ancient writings showered Greek bakers with praise for their delicious version of breakfast cake, which famous philosopher, Socrates, often nibbled during his speeches. Even the Romans were fond of breakfast cake, a delicacy that they saved largely for special occasions. Indeed, most of our distant ancestors regarded breakfast cake as a luxury item because it contained pepper – a sought-after spice that was extremely scarce (and thus expensive) and widely attributed with special properties, such as an ability to ward off evil spirits.
The recipe for breakfast cake has evolved gradually over centuries – one of the biggest changes was brought about by explorers who came to Europe with an exciting new selection of herbs and spices. Bakers began to experiment with these novel ingredients, resulting in hundreds of different varieties of ontbijtkoek in the Netherlands and Belgium alone.
Municipal records indicate that ontbijtkoek was professionally baked in the Netherlands as early as the 16th century, particularly in South Holland, Overijssel, Groningen, Friesland and Brabant. Today the most famous Dutch breakfast cake brand is Peijnenburg, which has been producing its superior range of tempting breakfast cakes for more than 125 years. Although Koninklijke Peijnenburg was originally founded by Dutch baker, Harry Peijnenburg, in the Brabant town of Geldrop in 1883 , it was later acquired by Lotus Bakeries in 2006. The Belgian company’s key aim is to win as many converts to typical Dutch Peijnenburg breakfast cake, both at home and abroad, as possible.
Sources
@ http://www.thedutchtable.com/2010/02/ontbijtkoek-dutch-spice-bread.html
@ https://dutchcommunity.com/2014/08/27/the-history-of-dutch-ontbijtkoek/
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