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 definition of approximately thirty to eighty words, 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, the Wilhelmina pepermunt, and the cores of muisjes comfits.
Autodrop
/ˈʌtoː.drɔp/. A children's-licorice brand of Klene, founded in the mid-1990s, distinguished by sweet soft licorice products in vehicle shapes (cars, trucks, fire engines). Now one of the largest single Dutch confectionery brands by volume.
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 standard Belgian-praline gift box, a small rectangular cardboard container with a hinged lid. Designed by Louise Agostini in 1915 to allow Belgian pralines to travel without being crushed. 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 hard, dry, slightly sweet round bread, perhaps 90mm in diameter, baked twice for storage stability. The standard base for beschuit met muisjes, the birth-celebration confection.
Biscoff
/ˈbɪs.kɒf/. A brand of caramelised speculoos biscuits and spread, produced by the Belgian firm Lotus Bakeries since 1933. Now the most globalised single Belgian confectionery product through international retail and airline distribution.
blokje
/ˈblɔk.cə/. "Little block." A small soft cube-shaped drop, typically 15mm on a side, most often in the salted or dubbelzout ranges.
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 general Dutch term for licorice confectionery. A category rather than a single product. See the main drop entry.
dubbelzout
/ˈdʏ.bəl.zʌut/. "Double-salt." Strong-salted licorice with ammonium chloride content of 4.5–7.99%. See dubbelzoute.
edelmarsepein
/ˈeː.dəl.mɑr.səˈpɛin/. "Noble marzipan." Premium-grade marzipan with at least 50% almond content. See marsepein.
engeltje
/ˈɛ.ŋəl.cə/. "Little angel." A wing-shaped sweet drop, occasionally produced for the children's market, particularly around the Sinterklaas season.
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 Dordrecht confectionery firm founded in 1820, the oldest continuously operating confectioner in the Netherlands. Producer of the Wilhelmina pepermunt, classical zuurtjes, toverballen, and several other long-established Dutch hard-candy lines.
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." Crushed white-only aniseed comfits, 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/. A saponin compound found in the roots of Glycyrrhiza glabra, perhaps fifty times sweeter than sucrose by weight, responsible for the sweet character of licorice. The pharmacologically active compound discussed in the licorice chemistry entry.
hagelslag
/ˈhaː.xəl.slɑx/. "Hailfall." Dutch chocolate sprinkles for breakfast bread. A regulated product requiring at least 32% cocoa content for the milk variant, 35% for the dark. 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 best known for its gum and licorice products, including its merger relationship with Klene.
kindertje
/ˈkɪn.dər.cə/. "Little child." A humanoid figural sweet drop, soft and oriented toward the children's market.
Klene
/ˈkleː.nə/. The Dutch licorice firm founded in 1925 in Oosterhout, producer of the reference Dubbelzout line and parent of the Autodrop subsidiary. See the Klene entry.
kokindje
/koːˈkɪn.cə/. A small soft cube-or-pointed-cube licorice form, conventionally salted or dubbelzout. The name's etymology is uncertain.
kruidnoot
/ˈkrœyt.noːt/. "Spice-nut." A small round crisp speculaas-style cookie associated with Sinterklaas, distinct from the older pepernoot. See pepernoten and kruidnoten.
kruidnageldrop
/ˈkrœyt.naː.xəl.drɔp/. Clove-flavoured licorice. A regional Frisian specialty.
laurierdrop
/lɔːˈriːr.drɔp/. Bay-laurel-flavoured licorice lozenge. See honingdrop, laurierdrop, and the flavoured drops.
Leonidas
/leːoːˈniː.dɑs/. The Belgian praline firm founded in 1913, the largest by volume in the Belgian praline trade. See Belgian pralines.
marsepein
/mɑr.səˈpɛin/. Dutch marzipan. A higher almond content than its German cousin and a strong figural moulding tradition. 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/. "Coin" (the shape) or "mint" (the flavour). The two senses are distinguished in context. As a shape, refers to the round coin-shaped drop. As a flavour, refers to peppermint or spearmint. Muntdrop combines both senses.
Neuhaus
/ˈnɔy.haʊs/. The Brussels chocolate firm founded in 1857, originator of the Belgian praline form in 1912 and the ballotin in 1915. See Belgian pralines.
neuzeke
/ˈnøː.zə.kə/ (Flemish). The Flemish diminutive for the cuberdon. See cuberdon.
ovaal
/oːˈvaːl/. "Oval." The classical oval-shaped drop, perhaps 25mm long, no strong flavour or salt-grade association.
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 Wilhelmina pepermunt is the Dutch reference mint sweet, produced by Fortuin since 1892.
praline (Belgian)
/ˈpraː.liː.nə/ (Belgian use). A filled chocolate, the 1912 Neuhaus invention. See Belgian pralines for the disambiguation from French and American uses of the term.
Red Band
/rɛd bænd/. The Roosendaal wine-gum firm founded in 1922, producer of the iconic Winegum-Drum. See Red Band.
De Ruijter
/də ˈrœy.tər/. The Sneek/Wormer breakfast-confection firm founded in 1860, principal producer of muisjes and a substantial share of Dutch hagelslag products.
ruit
/rœyt/. "Rhombus." The classical rhombus-shaped drop, the form most strongly associated with the assertive end of the salt range.
salmiak
/sɑlˈmiːak/. The colloquial Dutch term for ammonium chloride (NH4Cl), the compound responsible for the dry ammoniacal finish of salted Dutch and Finnish licorice. See the salmiak entry.
schoolkrijt
/ˈsxoːl.krɛit/. "Schoolchalk." A short white cylindrical soft drop coated in a fine layer of salmiak salt. Historically associated with shops near schools.
schuimpjes
/ˈsxœym.pjəs/. "Little foams." Egg-white-and-sugar foam confections, often shaped as small dragonflies or other figures. See schuimpjes.
schuimkussen
/ˈsxœym.kʏ.sən/. "Foam pillow." A larger flat foam confection, often with a fruit-jam centre, descended from the schuimpjes tradition.
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." A long thin soft licorice form, oriented toward children, often produced as a chewable 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/. The Hoogeveen licorice firm founded in 1870. 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.hɛlˈmiː.naː ˈpeː.pər.mʏnt/. The small white peppermint pastille produced by Fortuin in Dordrecht since 1892, named for Queen Wilhelmina (reigned 1898–1948). The reference Dutch peppermint sweet.
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.
zoute drop
/ˈzʌu.tə drɔp/. "Salted drop." The salted Dutch licorice category. See zoute drop.
zuurtjes
/ˈzyːr.cəs/. "Sour ones." Traditional Dutch hard-candy sour drops, in citroen, framboos, anijs, and zwarte bes. See zuurtjes.