Choose how much taai-taai to buy based on how you’ll serve it on Sinterklaas Eve: a 250 g bag may be enough as part of a dessert, while 500 g gives you more to share with guests. The word ‘artisan’ doesn’t prove that it tastes any different. If anyone has a food allergy or dietary restriction, check the label on the actual packet you’ll be serving.
If you’d like to feature taai-taai in a dessert or serve it with coffee, first work out how many biscuits you’ll need. Albert Heijn Allerhande, for example, uses taai-taai in a Sinterklaas trifle, so you don’t necessarily need to open a large bag.
If you’re hosting several guests, pack size matters, especially if you’ll also be serving other Sinterklaas treats. ALDI lists 500 g of taai-taai, while Dirk offers 500 g of mini taai-taai.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the current packet before choosing or serving taai-taai. Albert Heijn warns that online product information can change.
If someone has an allergy, first check whether the packet is suitable for them. Then decide whether the taai-taai will mainly go into a dessert, be shared on its own or mostly be kept for later.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Dessert presentation | Check the pack size and decide whether you’ll serve the biscuits on their own or include them in a dessert. | If you want taai-taai to be a visible part of a dessert, a smaller bag may be enough; this way of serving it is the priority for around 33% of consumers. |
| How much to share | Compare the pack size with the number of guests and the other treats you’ll be serving. | If several guests will be taking taai-taai from a platter, you’ll want to put out enough; for around 25% of consumers, having enough to share matters most. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current ingredients list, allergen information and any warnings on the packet. | If a guest has a food allergy or relevant dietary restriction, you’ll need to know whether the biscuits are suitable; checking the label is the priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Storing leftovers | Choose a suitable pack size and check how to seal and store any taai-taai once opened. | If you’ve already got plenty of other treats, you won’t want to be left with a large number of uneaten biscuits; around 17% of consumers prioritise avoiding leftovers. |
PLUS uses ‘artisan taai-taai biscuits’ as a product description. On its own, the name isn’t an independent assessment of taste or quality.
Choose based on the pack size and how you’ll serve the biscuits, rather than relying on the description alone.
Ingredients and allergen information can change. If someone has a food allergy, an older product page may not tell you what’s in the packet you have on the table.
Read the label on the current packet before serving. If you’re unsure whether it contains a relevant allergen, don’t serve it to that guest.
A 500 g bag may be right for several guests, but you’re more likely to have leftovers if you’re also serving other sweet treats. Opened taai-taai can dry out.
Choose an amount that suits your guests and the other treats on offer, and seal any leftover taai-taai well.
Taai-taai also contributes to the overall portion of dessert. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 7.5 g of sugars, among other nutrients, in one 20 g piece of taai-taai; any other ingredients come on top of that.
Decide in advance how much taai-taai you’ll use in the dessert, especially if you’ll also serve biscuits on their own.
Albert Heijn has a product page for AH Taai taai, and Allerhande also shows how to use taai-taai in a Sinterklaas trifle.
PLUS lists 500 g of Sinterklaas and Piet taai-taai and 250 g of artisan taai-taai biscuits.
ALDI describes its 500 g of taai-taai as aniseed-flavoured biscuits shaped like figures.
Dirk lists 500 g of mini taai-taai in its search results for taai-taai.
Lidl offers inspiration for a varied Sinterklaas spread with sweets and treats.
It’s mainly about how you serve it: you can put taai-taai alongside a dessert or incorporate it into one, as Albert Heijn Allerhande does in a Sinterklaas trifle. You don’t need a packet labelled ‘artisan’, and that description doesn’t guarantee a difference in taste.
It depends on how many guests will eat taai-taai and what else you’re serving. If you’re using the biscuits only as part of a dessert, a smaller bag may be suitable; for a platter that several guests will help themselves to, a larger pack may be more practical.
Seal any opened taai-taai well and keep it in a kitchen cupboard. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says to look out for signs of the biscuits drying out or going mouldy when checking any leftovers.
Check the label on the current packet. According to the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, allergen information for pre-packed products must appear on the label; checking an online product page or a packet you bought earlier isn’t a substitute.
