Choose plain taaitaai if you’re mainly looking for a spiced biscuit layer or decoration for your cake. If you want a distinct cocoa flavour, choose the dark chocolate separately: dark brown sugar in a taaitaai recipe tells you nothing about its cocoa content. Also consider how you’ll use the biscuits, and check the packaging of both products for allergen information.
You want to use taaitaai as a spiced biscuit, while choosing the cocoa content of the chocolate you add yourself. The taaitaai recipes from Albert Heijn Allerhande and Jumbo feature ingredients such as flour, honey and spices; dark chocolate is a separate purchase.
You want to use whole taaitaai biscuits, pieces or crumbs to decorate a cake, and are mainly after that familiar spiced flavour. You can then choose a ready-made product based on its shape and ingredients, without mistaking a dark colour for cocoa.
You’re choosing ingredients for someone with a specific food allergy or intolerance. Check the current ingredients and allergen information, as well as any warnings about possible cross-contamination, for both the taaitaai and any chocolate. The product name alone won’t give you the full picture.
First decide whether the taaitaai itself will provide the spiced flavour, or whether you also want to use chocolate with a stated cocoa percentage. Then consider the shape you need, allergens and when to add the biscuits to the cake.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa content | Look for a stated cocoa percentage on the chocolate or product you choose; don’t assume it from the word ‘dark’. | If I want a pronounced cocoa flavour alongside the spiced biscuit, I want to be able to choose the cocoa content myself. Around 40% of consumers put this choice first. |
| Shape and preparation time | Decide whether you need whole pieces or crumbs. Allow around two hours for the dough to rest when following Jumbo’s taaitaai recipe, in addition to baking time. | If I want to finish a cake quickly, ready-made decoration matters more; if I want to make my own shapes, I need to allow time for baking. Around 30% of consumers put this practical consideration first. |
| Allergens | Check the ingredients, allergens and any ‘may contain’ warnings on the current packaging of each product; verify any gluten-free claim for the specific product. | If someone eating with me needs to avoid an allergen, I want to check both the taaitaai and the chocolate. Around 20% of consumers give this check the highest priority. |
| Texture when serving | Follow the biscuit’s storage instructions and, if your cake has a moist layer, try adding the decoration at different times first. | If I add the biscuits to the cake in advance, I want to know whether the texture will still be right when I serve it. For around 10% of consumers, this is the first consideration. |
Dark brown sugar in a taaitaai recipe isn’t a cocoa percentage. Albert Heijn Allerhande’s and Jumbo’s recipes describe a spiced biscuit without listing cocoa as an ingredient.
If you want to compare cocoa content, check the percentage on the chocolate you choose separately, or on the specific product.
AH Taai taai lists ingredients including milk, rye and wheat. Any chocolate you add needs its own allergen check, too.
Before use, check the current packaging of every ingredient, including any warnings about cross-contamination.
If you choose a particular baking mix, your baking plans depend on that specific product being available at the time.
Check availability before buying the rest of your cake ingredients. Alternatively, you can choose a taaitaai recipe and buy the ingredients separately.
When decorating, it’s not just the flavour that matters: the texture when you serve the cake should also suit what you’re making.
Store taaitaai as directed on the packaging, and try a small piece to see when you’d like to add it to your cake layer.
A place to start for plain taaitaai, a taaitaai recipe and separately sold dark chocolate.
A place to start if you want to bake taaitaai yourself or add dark chocolate separately.
A product range to explore if you need a gluten-free taaitaai option.
A taaitaai manufacturer that also describes producing biscuits for retailers’ own brands.
These bars are separate chocolate options for a cake with taaitaai; none of them is taaitaai itself. Compare the stated cocoa content and, before buying, check that your chosen bar is suitable for how you want to use the chocolate.
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A separate chocolate bar if you want to choose a stated cocoa content to go with your taaitaai.
The product information states at least 78% cocoa. Check the current packaging for allergens and to make sure the bar is suitable for how you plan to use it.
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A separate chocolate option if you want to choose the cocoa content independently of the spiced taaitaai.
The product information states at least 85% cocoa. Check the current allergen information and make sure the bar is suitable for how you plan to use it.
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This bar lets you choose the cocoa content separately, while the taaitaai provides the spiced biscuit element.
The product information states at least 70% cocoa. Check the current packaging for allergens and make sure the bar is suitable for how you plan to use it.
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A separate chocolate bar for anyone who wants to choose a stated cocoa content for a cake with taaitaai.
The product information states 90% cocoa. Check the packaging for allergens and make sure the bar is suitable for how you plan to use it.
No. A dark colour or dark brown sugar doesn’t prove a high cocoa content. Albert Heijn Allerhande’s taaitaai recipe doesn’t list cocoa; only rely on a cocoa percentage if it’s stated for the specific product.
Use taaitaai for the spiced element, and choose the chocolate separately if you want to compare cocoa content. Then check that the chocolate is suitable for how you plan to use it, such as shaving it or using it as a layer.
Check the current ingredients and allergen information for both the taaitaai and any chocolate you plan to use. AH Taai taai lists ingredients including milk, rye and wheat. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that allergens in prepacked foods must be clearly indicated in the ingredients list.
Time it to suit the texture you want and the cake layer the biscuits will sit on. Follow the storage instructions on the packaging until you’re ready to use them. If the layer is moist, try a small piece first to see whether you’d prefer to add the decoration later.
