The entire world eats Nutella on toast for breakfast. Except for the Dutch.
They open a box of chocolate sprinkles and make it rain all over their breakfast spread.
If you’re thinking that this must get messy, you’re absolutely correct. But it’s also much more fun than you’d think.
This Dutch favourite is called Hagelslag, and if you haven’t tried it — you’re definitely missing out!
What is it?
Basically, Hagelslag is just chocolate sprinkles, like the ones you would decorate cakes with or sprinkle over soft-serve.
Here in the Netherlands, Hagelslag is most commonly eaten on buttered toast.
The butter or margarine ensures (more or less) that the sprinkles stay put.
That way, you can enjoy your breakfast without having to change your T-shirt or tablecloth afterwards.
But do check whether or not a sneaky sprinkle is clinging to the corner of your mouth. 😉
Fun fact 🤓: Allegedly, it was B.E Dieperink, the director of a ‘drop’ factory, that came up with the first prototype of Hagelslag on a gloomy autumn day. It was hailing (you see, where he’s coming from?) and Dieperink thought that sprinkles with anise taste might make a nice breakfast spread.
The anise-flavoured treats first hit the market in 1919, but when chocolate-flavoured varieties were introduced in the 1930s, they quickly became the more popular choice for Nederlanders with a sweet tooth.
Why do they do it?
Well, it’s just so fun. Who doesn’t want to eat chocolate sprinkles for breakfast? And they come in a lot of different variations too!
The classic version is your average chocolate sprinkle.
But you can also get pink forest fruit-flavoured sprinkles! Or white chocolate! Or orange sprinkles for no reason other than patriotism!
READ MORE | Why do the Netherlands love orange? The full explainer
Ah, we love them all. But, just to save you from any unnecessary embarrassments at any Dutch breakfast table, here is a quick guide on how to properly eat Hagelslag:
✅ Get a soft piece of bread.
✅ Butter your bread generously, so as much Hagelslag as possible can stick to it.
✅ Take your box of Hagelslag and carefully shake out the sprinkles over your piece of bread.
✅ Now, most importantly, don’t fold your toast to avoid the sprinkles going everywhere. Ideally, you just cautiously balance the soft slice with both hands and take small, delicious bites.
✅ Pick up the leftover Hagelslag on your plate, table cloths (and kitchen floor) with your finger. This is the most fun part because it allows you to eat with your hands. Teehee.
Why is it quirky?
For one, it is really not a very practical way to eat chocolate sprinkles. Or chocolate on bread, for that matter.
It would honestly be easier to break off a piece of a chocolate bar and dump it on your toast.
But the Dutch love it! Go into any Dutch supermarket and you’ll find that the array of Hagelslag available rivals the amount of breakfast cereal in the neighbouring aisle.
It’s just something you have to try yourself to see what all the fuss is about. 😉
Should you join in?
Absolutely! Sugar, carbs and breakfast — what’s not to love? You can also eat a broodje Hagelslag as a snack (tussendoortje). No judgement here.
What do you think of this Dutch quirk? Have you experienced it? Tell us in the comments below!
We never toasted our bread as a child when eating hagelslag. In fact back in the day the Dutch hardly had toasters unless on the open fire. And, it had to be white bread. Even now when we travel to The Netherlands people just have plain untoasted bread, for breakfast.