Choose regular mini taai-taai if you want to hand out lots of small biscuits from one bag at the Sinterklaas procession, but don’t assume they’re individually wrapped or pre-portioned. Check the size, quantity or serving size, and ingredients on the packaging. If gluten-free is essential, choose a product labelled as such and check for other allergens too. Check availability shortly before you buy.
For a procession, school event or neighbourhood activity, you may want to share small biscuits among a group. PLUS and Dirk list mini taai-taai in 500 g bags; decide for yourself how many you want to set out per person.
If someone has a specific dietary requirement, the word ‘mini’ isn’t enough to help you choose. Regular varieties may contain wheat, rye and milk, among other ingredients; the Consenza figures labelled gluten-free contain oats and almonds.
If you’re looking for a particular size or brand, check your chosen shop’s range shortly before you buy. Jumbo states that its Mini Taai Taai is no longer available in its online range.
Before the Sinterklaas procession, first decide which requirement will guide your choice: portion size for sharing, ingredients or availability. Then check the packaging of the product you’re actually buying.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Small size for handing out | Check whether the product is labelled mini, and look at the net weight and any serving size. A bag doesn’t mean the biscuits are individually wrapped. | If I’m handing them out to a group, I want to be able to share out small biscuits myself. Around 43% of consumers give this size top priority. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list and any ‘may contain’ information. Check for other allergens even if a product is labelled gluten-free. | If I need to account for a specific allergy, the ingredients matter more than the size. Around 29% of consumers put these checks first. |
| Availability | Shortly before buying, check whether your chosen product is available from your shop or for delivery in your area, and whether it’s mini biscuits or regular figures. | Just before the procession, I want to know whether I can get my chosen product, so I can switch shop or style if necessary. Around 28% of consumers put availability first. |
You’ll still need to count or divide up a bag of small biscuits yourself. The size of one biscuit doesn’t tell you how many to hand out per person.
Decide in advance how many visitors you want to cater for. Check the net weight and any serving size on the packaging, and provide your own napkins or treat bags if needed.
The gluten-free Consenza taai-taai figures listed by Albert Heijn contain oats and almonds. So that label doesn’t mean the product is suitable for everyone with an allergy.
Check which ingredients the recipient needs to avoid, and read both the ingredients list and any warnings about possible traces on the packaging.
You can still view the product page for Jumbo Mini Taai Taai, but Jumbo states that the item is no longer in its online range.
Check the status with your chosen shop shortly before you do your shopping, and consider whether another brand or size would work for your sharing plans.
These examples can help you compare size, packaging and ingredients; a brand being mentioned doesn’t in itself tell you whether it’s available from your shop.
PLUS lists Taai taai sint en piet as mini taai-taai in a 500 g bag.
Dirk lists 1 de Beste Mini taai taai 500 g in its search results.
Albert Heijn lists Consenza Taai taai poppetjes gluten free in a 125 g pack.
Jumbo has a product page for Mini Taai Taai 500 g, with information on ingredients, allergens and servings.
ALDI lists 500 g of aniseed-flavoured taai-taai in figure shapes.
Lidl Recepten uses mini taai-taai with fruit and mini marshmallows in a Sinterklaas recipe.
No. ‘Mini’ describes the size of the biscuit; it doesn’t mean the biscuits are individually wrapped. Check the packaging of your chosen product for any serving size, then decide how many you want to hand out per person.
It depends on the specific product: the Consenza taai-taai figures labelled gluten-free at Albert Heijn contain almonds. Check the current ingredients and warnings on the packaging against the allergens the recipient needs to avoid.
Check the label on the pack you’re buying. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority explains that the 14 allergens which must be declared have to be clearly distinguished from other ingredients in the ingredients list. Also check for any warnings about possible traces.
No. A product page may remain online even when the item is no longer being sold online. Jumbo says this about its Mini Taai Taai, so check the status with the shop you plan to order from or visit shortly before the procession.
Don’t use the small size as your only guide to how often you give children taai-taai. For children aged 4 to 12, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends fruit and vegetables as snacks; for a special occasion, you can decide how many biscuits to hand out.
