Ontbijtkoek

Ontbijtkoek

Ontbijtkoek is often eaten with butter
Origin
Alternative name(s)	Peperkoek, Kruidkoek
Place of origin	Netherlands, Belgium
Details
Type	Cake
Main ingredient(s)	Rye, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, succade, nutmeg
Variations	Oudewijvenkoek
Approximate calories per serving	-

An ontbijtkoek (literally translated breakfast cake) or peperkoek (pepper cake) is a Dutch spiced cake. Rye is its most important ingredient, coloring the cake a 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 wives' 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.

Origin

Originally called 'peperkoek' it was made from breadcrumbs and other left over bakery products stored in an attic. These ingredients were periodically collected and pressed to create the 'peperkoek' which was augmented with black pepper to conceal the age of the resulting thick bread, hence its name. Pepper being historically one of the most valuable Dutch East India Company trading products, it was used in many Dutch food products.

See also

• Gingerbread
• Coffee cake
• Lekach