The Dutch Carnival Cake, also known as ''Carnival Cake'' (Dutch: Kermiskoek), is traditionally a Dutch delicacy that is similar to gingerbread cake. Its old

recipe A recipe is a set of instructions that describes how to prepare or make something, especially a dish of prepared food. A sub-recipe or subrecipe is a recipe for an ingredient that will be called for in the instructions for the main recipe. His ...

holds a variety of ingredients among which are freshly harvested

rye flour Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is ...

and freshly harvested

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

from the

Betuwe Batavia (; , ) is a historical and geographical region in the Netherlands, forming large fertile islands in the river delta formed by the waters of the Rhine (Dutch: ''Rijn'') and Meuse (Dutch: ''Maas'') rivers. During the Roman empire, it was an ...

region, additionally the cake is enriched with

rock candy Rock candy or sugar candy, also called rock sugar, or crystal sugar, is a type of confection composed of relatively large sugar crystals. This candy is formed by allowing a supersaturated solution of sugar and water to crystallize onto a su ...

History

Back in 1871 Jan ter Gouw already described the Carnival Cake in his book ''Folk Amusement (Volksvermaken)''. From this book the following song originated: Historically, the Dutch Carnival Cake was made solely in October for the autumn

carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

Tiel Tiel () is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands. The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river to the South and the North, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal to the East. Tiel comprises the population centres Kapel- ...

. It used to be given as a

wedding proposal A marriage proposal is an event where one person in a relationship asks for the other's hand in marriage. If accepted, it marks the initiation of engagement, a mutual promise of later marriage. It often has a ritual quality. Traditional propo ...

present. A farmer's son bought a Carnival Cake for his beloved. If the girl gave him a slice of the cake on the eighth or fourteenth day after the proposal, they would get engaged. If she did not serve the cake, she turned down his offer. Nowadays the offering of ''the lovecake'' is not a proposal anymore, but a token of love and appreciation between partners, family and friends. There is still a Dutch

bakery A bakery is an establishment that produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cookies, cakes, donuts, pastries, and pies. Some retail bakeries are also categorized as cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who ...

that produces the Carnival Cake, and so the tradition is being continued.

Recognition

The Carnival Cake has a rich

tradition A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...

, which sunk into oblivion over time. However, because the Carnival Cake was adopted in the list of the ''Centre for Folklife and Cultural Heritage'' - a country wide organization similar to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

- the tradition can be maintained. Since this tradition was adopted, the original Dutch Carnival cake is procurable all year long.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Whipped Cream Charger
Cakes Culture of the Netherlands

History

Recognition

See also

References

External links