This glossary is intended as a reference rather than as continuous reading. The terms are listed alphabetically, with each entry providing the Dutch (or Flemish) term, an IPA pronunciation guide using the conventions of the International Phonetic Association, a short definition, and (where applicable) a cross-reference to the principal entry where the subject is treated in more depth. Each entry has an HTML anchor (using the term itself, lower-case, as the anchor) for direct citation from elsewhere on the site and from external sources.
The terms are predominantly Dutch with a smaller number of specifically Flemish ones; where the Dutch and Flemish forms differ meaningfully, both are noted. Where a term is regulated, the regulatory framework is briefly indicated. Where a term has cognates in related languages (German, Frisian, Finnish), this is occasionally noted. The glossary aims for completeness across the Snoep encyclopedia's scope; readers identifying terms not included are invited to suggest them through the about page.
anijs
/ˈaːnɛis/. Dutch for "anise." A strongly aromatic seed (from Pimpinella anisum) used as a flavouring in many Dutch confections, including the chewy taai-taai dough, traditional pepernoten, and the cores of muisjes comfits.
Autodrop
/ˈʌu̯toː.drɔp/. A Dutch brand of licorice and gum sweets in the shape of cars and other vehicles, made by the company Concorp in Irnsum (Friesland). It is not part of Klene. See Dutch candy brands.
babelutte
/baːbəˈlʏtə/. A Flemish caramel of brown sugar and butter, twisted into wrapped sticks, sold from boardwalk shops along the West Flanders coast. See the babelutte entry.
ballotin
/balɔˈtɛ̃/ (French). The box in which Belgian pralines are sold, generally credited to Louise Agostini, wife of Jean Neuhaus II, in 1915 as a way to stop pralines being crushed in paper cones. See Belgian pralines.
banketbakkerij
/bɑŋˈkɛd.bɑkəˌrɛi/. Dutch for "confiserie" — a specialty bakery producing pastries, marzipan, fine biscuits, and gift confectionery. The word's literal sense is "banquet-bakery." Banketbakkerijen produce most of the artisanal Dutch marsepein and seasonal Sinterklaas confections.
beertje
/ˈbeːr.cə/. "Little bear." A small bear-shaped sweet drop, almost always soft and sweet, oriented toward the children's market. The Dutch licorice equivalent of the gummy bear.
beschuit
/bəˈsxœyt/. A Dutch rusk: a light, dry, round twice-baked bread. The usual base for beschuit met muisjes, eaten to celebrate a birth. See muisjes.
Biscoff
/ˈbɪs.kɒf/. The international brand name of the caramelised speculoos biscuit made by the Belgian company Lotus Bakeries (founded in Lembeke in 1932). See speculoos.
blokje
/ˈblɔk.jə/. "Little block." A small cube-shaped piece of drop; the shape occurs in both sweet and salty varieties.
borstplaat
/ˈbɔrst.plaːt/. "Chest plate." A near-pure sugar-and-milk fondant, set into shallow discs and traditionally flavoured with vanilla, coffee, chocolate, or lemon. The most domestic of the Sinterklaas confections.
chocoladeletter
/ʃoː.koːˈlaː.də.lɛ.tər/. A solid-chocolate letter, conventionally the recipient's first-name initial, distributed during the run-up to Sinterklaas. See chocoladeletters.
cuberdon
/kybɛrˈdɔn/ (Flemish). A purple cone-shaped Ghent confection of gum arabic and raspberry syrup, with a liquid heart and a three-week shelf life. Also called neuzeke or neus van Gent. See the cuberdon entry.
drop
/drɔp/. The Dutch word for licorice candy (the Dutch word for the licorice root is zoethout). The name is usually explained as coming from the solidified "drops" of licorice extract once sold as medicine. A category rather than a single product. See the main drop entry and the history of drop.
dubbelzout
/ˈdʏ.bəl.zʌut/. "Double-salt." Strongly salted licorice, flavoured with a higher dose of ammonium chloride (salmiak) than ordinary zoute drop. There is no legal definition of the grade; strength varies by maker. See dubbelzoute.
edelmarsepein
/ˈeː.dəl.mɑr.səˈpɛin/. "Noble marzipan." A name used for higher-grade marzipan with a larger share of almonds; check the label for the actual almond content. See marsepein.
eucalyptusdrop
/øːkaːˈlɪp.tʏs.drɔp/. Eucalyptus-flavoured licorice lozenge, sitting on the boundary between confectionery and over-the-counter cough preparation. See honingdrop, laurierdrop, and the flavoured drops.
Fortuin
/fɔrˈtœyn/. A confectionery company in Dokkum (Friesland), where Willem Hendrik Fortuin set up as a baker in 1842. Maker of the Wilhelmina pepermunt, introduced in 1892. See pepermunt.
framboos
/frɑmˈboːs/. Dutch for "raspberry." One of the four classical zuurtjes flavours and the dominant flavour of the cuberdon.
gestampte muisjes
/xəˈstɑm.tə ˈmœys.jəs/. "Crushed muisjes." Aniseed comfits crushed into fine fragments, used as a sprinkle topping for breakfast bread in the manner of hagelslag. See muisjes.
glycyrrhiza
/ɡlɪˈsɪ.rɪ.zə/. The botanical genus of the licorice plant; the species used principally in confectionery is Glycyrrhiza glabra. The roots are the source of the licorice extract used in drop.
glycyrrhizin
/ɡlɪsɪˈriː.zɪn/. The sweet compound in licorice root, roughly 30 to 50 times sweeter than sucrose. In large, regular amounts it can raise blood pressure and lower potassium. See the chemistry of licorice and licorice and health.
hagelslag
/ˈɦaː.ɣəl.slɑx/. "Hailfall." Dutch sprinkles for buttered bread, chocolate or fruit-flavoured. In Dutch food law, only sprinkles with a minimum cocoa content may be sold as chocoladehagelslag. See the hagelslag entry.
harde drop
/ˈhɑr.də drɔp/. "Hard drop." Hard licorice lozenges, in contrast to zachte drop. Most often produced in the salted ranges; sweet drop is more often produced as zachte drop.
hartje
/ˈhɑr.cə/. "Little heart." A heart-shaped sweet drop, often pink rather than the conventional black, oriented toward the children's market.
honingdrop
/ˈhoː.nɪŋ.drɔp/. Honey-flavoured licorice lozenge, conventionally hexagonal and amber-coloured. See honingdrop.
kaneelstok
/kaːˈneːl.stɔk/. Pink-and-white striped cinnamon hard-candy stick, eaten over the course of a substantial period. See kaneelstokken.
kat
/kɑt/. "Cat." A cat-shaped figural drop, almost always sweet, oriented toward the children's market.
Katja
/ˈkɑt.jaː/. A Dutch confectionery brand of gum and licorice sweets, including cat-shaped drop, made by Katja Fassin, part of the Fassin family companies. Related by family history to the German brand Katjes; not connected with Klene. See katjesdrop.
Klene
/ˈkleː.nə/. Dutch licorice brand founded in Rotterdam in 1876 by Johannes Coenradus Klene; part of Perfetti Van Melle since 1999. See the Klene entry.
kruidnoot
/ˈkrœyt.noːt/. "Spice-nut." A small round crisp speculaas-style cookie associated with Sinterklaas, distinct from the older pepernoot. See pepernoten and kruidnoten.
laurierdrop
/lɔːˈriːr.drɔp/. Bay-laurel-flavoured licorice lozenge. See honingdrop, laurierdrop, and the flavoured drops.
Leonidas
/leːoːˈniː.dɑs/. Belgian chocolate company associated with Leonidas Kestekides, a Greek-American confectioner who settled in Belgium; its shops date from the early twentieth century and it is one of the largest Belgian praline sellers. See Belgian pralines.
marsepein
/mɑr.səˈpɛin/. Dutch marzipan: ground almonds and sugar, moulded into fruit, animals and other figures, especially for Sinterklaas. See marsepein.
mentholdrop
/ˈmɛn.tɔl.drɔp/. Menthol-flavoured licorice lozenge, with cooling sensation. Sits on the boundary between confectionery and pharmacy.
muisjes
/ˈmœys.jəs/. "Little mice." Aniseed comfits in pink-and-white or blue-and-white combinations, eaten on rusks at the birth of a child. See muisjes.
munt
/mʏnt/. Means both "coin" and "mint". In muntdrop it refers to the coin shape: round, flat pieces of drop. Peppermint is pepermunt. See muntdrop.
Neuhaus
/ˈnøy.ɦʌu̯s/. Brussels chocolate house in the Galerie de la Reine, founded by Jean Neuhaus in 1857 as a pharmacy. His grandson Jean Neuhaus II is credited with the filled chocolate praline (1912). See Belgian pralines.
neuzeke
/ˈnøː.zə.kə/ (Flemish). The Flemish diminutive for the cuberdon. See cuberdon.
ovaal
/oːˈvaːl/. "Oval." An oval-shaped piece of drop; the shape says little about flavour or salt grade.
pakjesavond
/ˈpɑk.jəs.aː.vɔnt/. "Gift-evening." The evening of 5 December, the climax of the Sinterklaas season, when gifts and confectionery are distributed within Dutch families.
pepernoot
/ˈpeː.pər.noːt/. "Pepper-nut." A small chewy spice cookie of the Sinterklaas season, built on a rye-and-anise dough. Distinct from the kruidnoot. See pepernoten and kruidnoten.
pepermunt
/ˈpeː.pər.mʏnt/. Peppermint. The best-known Dutch peppermints are Wilhelmina (Fortuin, Dokkum) and KING (originally Tonnema of Sneek, now Cloetta). See pepermunt.
praline (Belgian)
/praˈliː.nə/ (Belgian use). A filled chocolate bonbon, credited to Jean Neuhaus II in 1912. See Belgian pralines for how this differs from French and American uses of the word.
Red Band
/rɛd bɛnt/. Dutch licorice and wine-gum maker founded in Roosendaal in 1928 by T.J. Overwater; now part of Cloetta. See Red Band.
De Ruijter
/də ˈrœy.tər/. Company founded in Baarn in 1860 by the baker Cornelis Rutger de Ruijter, best known for muisjes and hagelslag. See muisjes and hagelslag.
ruit
/rœyt/. "Diamond, rhombus." A diamond-shaped piece of drop, one of the most common shapes for salty drop. See drop shapes.
salmiak
/sɑlˈmiːɑk/. Ammonium chloride (NH4Cl, food additive E 510), the compound that gives salty Dutch and Nordic licorice its sharp taste. See the salmiak entry and the chemistry of licorice.
schoolkrijt
/ˈsxoːl.krɛit/. "School chalk." A Venco product: white, chalk-shaped pieces with a crisp mint coating around a soft licorice centre flavoured with anise and salmiak. See Venco.
schuimpjes
/ˈsxœym.pjəs/. "Little foams." Soft, airy foam sweets, in industrial production usually made with sugar, glucose syrup and gelatine, in shapes such as bananas, strawberries and mushrooms. See schuimpjes.
snoep
/snup/. The Dutch word for sweets or candy; a single sweet is a snoepje, and snoepen means to eat sweets. See What is snoep?.
speculoos
/spe.kyˈloːs/ (Flemish). The Belgian caramelised spice biscuit. The Dutch cognate is speculaas. See speculoos.
spek / spekkies
/spɛk/, /ˈspɛk.jəs/. Dutch marshmallows, in pink-and-white layered combinations. See spekkies.
staaf
/staːf/. "Rod, bar." A long piece of drop, such as a stick or rope.
stroopwafel
/ˈstroːp.waː.fəl/. "Syrup waffle." Two thin wafers bound by a layer of caramel syrup. See stroopwafels.
taai-taai
/ˈtaːi taːi/. A chewy honey-rye-anise cake-candy, almost always sold as a figure of the saint, his horse, or a Piet. See taai-taai.
toverbal
/ˈtoː.vər.bɑl/. "Magic ball." A spherical hard candy with concentric layers of differently coloured fruit flavours, eaten over a substantial period. See toverbal.
Venco
/ˈvɛŋ.koː/. Dutch licorice brand founded in Amsterdam in 1878 by Gerrit van Voornveld; the name comes from "Voornveld en Co". Now a Cloetta brand, made in Roosendaal. See Venco.
vruchtenhagel
/ˈvrʏx.tə.haː.xəl/. "Fruit hail." Sugar-based fruit-flavoured sprinkles for breakfast bread, the older sibling of chocoladehagelslag.
Wilhelmina pepermunt
/ʋɪl.ɦɛlˈmiː.naː ˈpeː.pər.mʏnt/. White peppermint embossed with a portrait of Wilhelmina, made by Fortuin in Dokkum since 1892, when the young queen (reigned 1890–1948) turned twelve. See pepermunt.
zachte drop
/ˈzɑx.tə drɔp/. "Soft drop." Soft, gum-like licorice products, in contrast to the harder lozenge-style harde drop. The form most often produced in sweet rather than salted varieties.
zoete drop
/ˈzuː.tə drɔp/. "Sweet drop." The sweet end of the Dutch licorice spectrum. See zoete drop.
zoethout
/ˈzut.ɦʌut/. "Sweet wood." Dutch for licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), sold as dried sticks to chew and the source of the extract in drop. EU labels on Dutch products use "bevat zoethout" for "contains liquorice". See licorice and health.
zoute drop
/ˈzʌu.tə drɔp/. "Salted drop." The salted Dutch licorice category. See zoute drop.
zuurtjes
/ˈzyːr.cəs/. "Little sour ones." Dutch boiled sweets, often fruit-flavoured and slightly sour. See zuurtjes.