Parents who want to keep the tradition alive
You want to offer visitors rusks with sugared aniseed and are looking for, at most, an extra biscuit or a gift to go with them. Albert Heijn describes rusks with sugared aniseed as a birth tradition.
Who should choose each option?
Hosts who want something ready to hand out
You’re looking for individually wrapped chocolate biscuits to serve with coffee or tea, so you don’t have to prepare a rusk for every guest.
People buying a small new-baby gift
You’re looking for a box of chocolates as a separate gesture for visitors, family or someone who has helped, rather than as part of the rusks with sugared aniseed.
What should guide your choice?
Rusks with sugared aniseed
Choose this: if you want to serve the familiar Dutch birth celebration treat.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to prepare the rusks before handing them out.
Chocolate biscuits
Choose these: if you want to offer something ready-made with coffee or tea alongside the rusks.
Bear in mind: biscuits are an extra treat, not a substitute for rusks with sugared aniseed.
A box of chocolates
Choose this: if you want to give someone a separate gift or thank-you.
Bear in mind: a gift for one person won’t replace a treat for your visitors.
| What matters | What to check when buying | Who is this most important to? |
|---|---|---|
| Keeping the tradition recognisable | Choose rusks and sugared aniseed. Check the ingredients and allergens of the products you choose if you’re catering for guests with allergies. | I want visitors to recognise the traditional birth celebration treat straight away. For around 50% of consumers, keeping the tradition comes first. |
| Serving something without preparation | Check how many biscuits are in the pack and whether the packaging is suitable for putting out or handing around. | When I have lots of visitors, or they arrive unexpectedly, I want to be able to offer something with coffee quickly. For around 30% of consumers, ease of serving is the top priority. |
| Giving a gift | Check the contents and number of chocolates in the box, and check the allergens for the recipient. | I’m looking for a separate thank-you gift rather than a treat to put on the table. For around 20% of consumers, giving a gift comes first. |
What should you look out for?
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Thinking a box of chocolates is an essential part of the tradition
The traditional birth celebration treat is rusks with sugared aniseed. A box of chocolates on its own won’t give you that combination on the table.
So decide in advance whether you’re looking for a treat for visitors, an extra biscuit or a separate gift.
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Guessing the allergens from the product name
A name such as ‘chocolate biscuit’ doesn’t tell you which ingredients and allergens are in the particular variety you’ve chosen.
Before buying and serving, read the up-to-date ingredients list and allergen information on the packaging.
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Looking only at the serving size
The amount per serving and the number of items can vary from pack to pack. So the serving size alone won’t necessarily tell you how many guests you can cater for.
Compare the nutritional information of similar products per 100 g, and also check the net weight and number of items. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre uses per 100 g as the basis for comparing food labels.
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Assuming an in-store or promotional item will be available without checking
The Lidl product mentioned is sold in store; ALDI notes that promotional items can sell out quickly.
Check shortly before your visitors arrive whether the item is available at your local store.
Brands to consider
These brands offer different types of products. The biscuits, rusks and sugared aniseed mentioned don’t all serve the same purpose when you have visitors with a new baby.
Verkade
Chocolate biscuits as an extra treat with coffee or tea.
- Verkade describes Chocorondjes Melkchocolade as biscuits coated with milk chocolate.
- Chocolate biscuits aren’t a substitute for rusks with sugared aniseed. If you’re catering for guests with allergies, check the label on the variety you’ve chosen.
Lotus
Speculoos biscuits as a different kind of treat with coffee.
- Lotus Bakeries describes Biscoff as a crunchy speculoos biscuit.
- Standard Biscoff isn’t a chocolate biscuit or a substitute for rusks with sugared aniseed.
Albert Heijn
A place to find rusks and sugared aniseed for the traditional treat.
- Albert Heijn stocks both rusks and different varieties of sugared aniseed.
- Before serving, read the packaging of the products you’ve actually bought.
Jumbo
A range of chocolate biscuits as an extra treat.
- Jumbo stocks milk chocolate biscuits, among other options, in a pack of 9 and 125 g.
- Check the number of biscuits and ingredients on each pack. Chocolate biscuits are still an addition to the tradition.
Lidl
Chocolate biscuits to serve alongside the rusks.
- Lidl describes Chocobiscuits as butter biscuits with a chocolate coating, available in milk and dark varieties of 125 g.
- The product mentioned is sold in store, so check availability at your local shop.
Aldi
A box of chocolate biscuits to share as an extra treat.
- ALDI describes a Biscotto pack containing 20 butter biscuits with different types of chocolate.
- Promotional items can sell out quickly, so check whether the box you’ve chosen is available.
Chocolate treats for visitors or as a thank-you
These products suit two different plans: serving something ready-made alongside rusks with sugared aniseed, or giving someone chocolate as a separate gift. A soft cake is different from a crunchy biscuit, and none of these products is the traditional treat itself.
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Kahve Dunyasi Gofrik Pistachio Paste Milk Chocolate, 10 × 12,5 g
A chocolate treat to hand out alongside the traditional rusks.
The product name specifies 10 × 12,5 g and pistachio paste. Check the up-to-date ingredients and allergens before serving it to guests.
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LU Scholiertje Milk Chocolate Biscuits, 150 g
A chocolate biscuit for anyone who’d like to serve something extra with coffee or tea.
150 g pack. Check the packaging for the number of biscuits and the latest ingredients and allergen information.
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Milka Choc Cookies with Chocolate, 175 g
A chocolate treat to serve alongside the rusks, if a soft texture suits what you have in mind.
175 g pack. Although the name says ‘cookies’, the product description refers to soft cakes, so don’t assume they’ll be crunchy biscuits. Also check the allergens on the packaging.
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Tony's Chocolonely Chocolate Gift Pack, 288 g
A separate chocolate gift or thank-you, rather than a biscuit to serve with rusks and sugared aniseed.
288 g gift pack. Check the contents and allergens on the pack you’ve chosen before giving it to the recipient.
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Merci Petits Chocolate Collection, 125 g
A box of chocolates as a separate thank-you for a visitor or someone who has helped.
125 g pack. These are chocolate specialities, not chocolate biscuits. Check the flavours, ingredients and allergens on the pack you’ve chosen.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a box of chocolates to serve rusks with sugared aniseed?
No, a box of chocolates isn’t an essential part of serving rusks with sugared aniseed. Albert Heijn describes the combination of rusks and sugared aniseed as a birth tradition. You can choose chocolate separately as a gift or an extra treat.
Can I hand out chocolate biscuits instead of rusks with sugared aniseed?
Yes, if you deliberately want to serve a different treat. Ready-made chocolate biscuits save you some preparation, but they’re not the same as the traditional combination of rusks with sugared aniseed.
How do I check for allergens in biscuits and chocolate?
Read the up-to-date ingredients list and allergen information for the exact variety you’re buying. Don’t rely on the product name or the front of the packaging, especially if you’re buying or serving it to someone with an allergy.
How do I compare two packs of biscuits or boxes of chocolates?
Compare similar products by their nutritional value per 100 g, and also check the net weight, number of items, ingredients and allergens. This will also help you decide whether the pack is right for the number of people you want to serve.