Exactly one year ago we talked about the Dutch festive Sinterklaas. During that Edit we talked about the history of Sinterklaas, the origin and difference of 'kruid' and 'pepernoten' and at last the history of the 'chocolademunt.' Some of you die-hard Foodistory readers have undoubtedly read that Edit, for those who are new here's the quick link to that Edit.
Due to some remarkable new insights and an empty promise at the end of last year’s Edit I decided to pick up the same subject as last year. This year we will do a quick recap of where the festive come from and talk about the history of sweets like chocoladeletter, marsepijn, and other relevant sweets.
A Quick Recap
Sinterklaas is based on Saint Nicholas of Myra (270 - 343 AC), a bishop from Turkey who became famous because of the wonders he performed throughout his whole life. Many of these miracles performed by the Wonderworker were remarkably often beneficial for children and thus, his name grew fame under parents and children.
Even though Nicholas passed away on the 6th of December in the year 343, the stories about his miracles stayed very much alive until today. Throughout the years the stories got idealized and eventually formed 'Sinterklaas.'
There aren't many sources about the existence of Saint Nicholas. As a matter of fact, the earliest accounts of his life were written centuries after his death. The conclusion that Saint Nicholas existed and the modern 'Sinterklaas' is based on this figure cannot, therefore, be drawn.
A new theory
Recently I stumbled upon a very interesting theory about the conceptualization of the festive 'Sinterklaas' we now know. And even though this theory might seem a bit farfetched, it has many realistic aspects.
Sinterklaas is a man on a white horse, wears a red robe, carries a golden staff, and has a long white beard. He is famous for his knowledge, especially about children. If a child does something bad, for example cutting spaghetti. He will know and write it down, sort of an all-seeing eye.
Sinterkløs
There's a figure that fulfills almost the exact same description and, this figure has already been featured in one of our Edits. Think about it for a second... Whitebeard, a white horse, red robe, golden staff, famous for his wisdom.
It is indeed none other than the supreme god in Norse mythology, Odin! In many historic images, Odin is illustrated as a man with a long white beard, a red robe, and even a wide hat. He travels on his horse named Sleipnir, who has eight legs and can fly through the air. Next to that he always brings his golden spear called Gungnir with him, a spear that never misses its target.
Huh?
You might think, well... c'mon this is a bit farfetched. What could a jolly, fat man who slips down chimneys to bring children presents possibly have to do with the one-eyed, raven-flanked Viking god of war? Well, it becomes interesting.
According to an old Norse tale, Odin would lead the Wild Hunt during the harsh winters. He would fly on Sleipnir's back across the world. Children would leave their boots by the fireplace and would fill them up with carrots and other delightful snacks for Sleipnir. In return, Odin would fill their boots with gifts. The fact that Odin stood famous for giving gifts is reaffirmed in the following Eddic poem:
"We'll ask Odin
to keep us in mind
he gives gold to those who are worthy.
He gave Hermoth a helmet and armor.
He gave Sigmund a sword as a gift.
He gives victory to some,
money to others,
eloquence to many,
and common sense to all.
He gives waves to the sea,
word-skill to poets,
he gives many the happiness of love"
Food
Sinterklaas is celebrated in countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, northern parts of France, Denmark, and Germany. When looking at the colonization of the Vikings, similarities can be found. With that, I would like to close on the Norse theory about Sinterklaas, and let us move on for what you came here: Food!
As explained in the Edit of last year, Sinterklaas comes with a great variety of unhealthy but also healthy snacks. 'Peper' and 'Kruidnoten' can already be found in the supermarkets by summer and every greengrocer sees a big rise in sold mandarins. Last year we covered the history of the 'peper' and 'kruidnoten' and the golden chocolate coin, so if you are interested in that click the following link. Today we will cover the history of the 'Chocoladeletter'
‘Chocoladeletter’
A 'Chocoladeletter' is literally a letter made of either white, milk, or pure chocolate. Every year you will receive the letter with which your first name starts, if you're lucky you might even receive two or more. Even though Sinterklaas is a festive for children, people of all ages are given a 'chocoladeletter' around the 5th of December.
Although the chocoladeletter is quite a new product, the art of making letters from something edible can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Monks, who stand famous for their dedication to the art of fonds, used letters made of bread dough to teach children the alphabet and how to write. Letters made of bread dough can be seen in a still painting of Peter Binoit from 1615.
Letterbanket
This also brings us to another letter edible related to Sinterklaas, however, this one has become quite rare in recent years: 'Letterbanket' or 'Banketstaaf.' A 'Banketstaaf' is a roll of almond paste wrapped in puff pastry, it often comes in the letter S of 'Sinterklaas.' This sweet delight was also crafted by monks in the Middle Ages and has its first feature in a cookbook many years later in 1797. However, the ‘Banketstaaf’ was not used to teach children but to eat! Mind is blown…
The Rise of Chocolat
Back to the chocolate because we’re almost arriving in the 19th century. The first Dutch chocolate importer was established around 1650, but it wasn’t until 1820 when Mr. Van Houten invented a way to make chocolate bars. This invention was groundbreaking for the birth of the ‘Chocoladeletter.’
The exact date of the first ‘Chocoladeletter’ is unclear, however, in a Dutch poem called ‘De Sint-Nikolaasavond’ written by the poet P.A. de Géneset the first reference to a ‘Chocoladeletter’ is made.
Ik min dien winterdag vol bloemen, lied en geur,
Ik min dat zoete feest van suiker en likeur,
Het zielverkwikkend ijs, de schuim der limonade!
’k Zie, liever dan in druk, mijn naam in chocolade!
Chocolat wasn’t accessible for everyone since it was quite an expensive product. Receiving a ‘chocoladeletter’ was thus a very special present to receive. During the Second Worldwar, there was a big food shortage in the Netherlands. One of the biggest chocolate manufacturers in the Netherlands, Verkade, stated that there was 0 chocolate in the country. Thus they began producing letters made of ‘taaitaai.’
This brings us to another typical munch for Sinterklaas, but this we’ll save for next year. The list is endless, there is still so much more to cover. We’ll have to wait for the return of Sinterklaas for another year in order to cover the rest… See you next year!
Groetjes,
Piet