Choose classic taaitaai if you want to enjoy the aniseed and spices with your afternoon coffee. If you’re after a distinct cocoa flavour, pair taaitaai with a separate bar of dark chocolate: the ingredient lists for the classic varieties from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS don’t include cocoa or chocolate. Compare the stated cocoa percentage of the chocolate and check the current packaging for both products, especially if allergens are important to your choice.
If you want a distinct cocoa flavour alongside spicy taaitaai, choose your chocolate based on its stated cocoa percentage. The Voedingscentrum sets a minimum of 35% cocoa for dark chocolate; there’s no fixed percentage for the terms bitter and extra bitter.
If you’re mainly looking for a spicy biscuit to enjoy with your coffee, chocolate doesn’t need to be part of your choice. The ingredient lists for the classic varieties from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS include grains, syrup or sugar, and spices; Jumbo and PLUS also list aniseed.
For the classic varieties mentioned, the product pages list ingredients including wheat, rye and milk protein. Check the ingredients and any warnings on the packaging of both the taaitaai and the chocolate you actually choose.
Choose this if: you mainly want the aniseed and spice flavours of taaitaai with your coffee.
Bear in mind: the classic varieties from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS don’t list cocoa or chocolate as an ingredient.
Choose this if: you want to pick a chocolate with a stated cocoa percentage to enjoy alongside your taaitaai.
Bear in mind: you’re choosing two separate products, not one chocolate taaitaai.
Choose this if: you’re specifically looking for taaitaai with milk chocolate; Jumbo lists a variety with that name.
Bear in mind: the name milk chocolate doesn’t tell you whether it has a high cocoa percentage. Check the packaging for that information.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is it important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Cocoa flavour | Check whether cocoa or chocolate is listed in the ingredients. If choosing a separate bar of dark chocolate, compare the stated cocoa percentages. | If I mainly want to taste cocoa with my coffee, I don’t want to rely on the word dark alone. For around 50% of consumers, this cocoa choice comes first. |
| Spicy taaitaai | Compare the listed spices and aniseed, and choose a pack size that suits how you’ll use it. | The spicy biscuit is the most important thing for me with my coffee; I don’t need chocolate with it. Around 30% of consumers prefer this classic flavour. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Read the current label on the taaitaai and, if combining it with chocolate, check the chocolate too. Look out for warnings about cross-contamination as well. | If I need to avoid certain ingredients, the label determines which products I can choose. This is the first concern for around 20% of consumers. |
The ingredient lists for the classic taaitaai from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS don’t mention cocoa or chocolate. So this biscuit won’t automatically satisfy a craving for cocoa flavour.
Check the ingredients list. If you want both flavours with your coffee, choose the taaitaai and dark chocolate separately.
According to the Voedingscentrum, dark chocolate must contain at least 35% cocoa, but there’s no fixed cocoa percentage for bitter or extra bitter chocolate.
Compare the percentage actually stated on the chocolate bar rather than relying on the flavour description alone.
Ingredients can change. The classic taaitaai varieties described list ingredients including wheat, rye and milk protein; if you’re combining products, the chocolate has its own label too.
Before eating, check the packaging of the products you’ve chosen, including any warnings about cross-contamination.
ALDI includes the taai-taai mentioned in its Sinterklaas range, while PLUS groups its taaitaai with its Sinterklaas range. Availability may therefore vary by shop and season.
Check what’s currently available and, if choosing an alternative, compare the ingredients and allergens again.
Albert Heijn lists a classic AH Taai taai, weighing 500 g. Its ingredient list doesn’t include cocoa or chocolate.
Jumbo lists 500 g Sint Taai Taai Figuurtjes and a separate product called Taai Taai Melkchocolade, weighing 250 g.
PLUS lists 250 g Ambachtelijke taai taai koeken, with ingredients including aniseed and spices.
ALDI describes its 500 g Taai-taai as aniseed-flavoured biscuits shaped like figures, as part of its Sinterklaas range.
Dirk lists 1 de Beste Mini taai taai, weighing 500 g, in its product search results.
These Joybuy products are chocolate bars to choose separately and enjoy with taaitaai during a coffee break. They aren’t taaitaai or combination packs; compare their stated cocoa percentages and choose your biscuit separately.
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A separate chocolate bar for anyone who wants to choose one with a stated cocoa percentage to enjoy with taaitaai and coffee.
This variety states 90% cocoa and weighs 100 g. Choose your taaitaai separately, and check the labels on both products for allergens.
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A separate chocolate option if you want to choose a bar to enjoy with classic taaitaai during your coffee break.
This variety states 78% cocoa and weighs 100 g. Taaitaai isn’t included with this bar; check the current allergen information for both products.
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A separate bar for anyone who wants to choose their chocolate and taaitaai individually to enjoy with coffee.
This variety states 70% cocoa and weighs 100 g. Choose your taaitaai separately and read the allergen information on the packaging before combining them.
No. Extra bitter doesn’t correspond to a fixed cocoa percentage. The Voedingscentrum sets a minimum of 35% cocoa for dark chocolate, but there’s no fixed percentage for bitter or extra bitter chocolate, so compare the figure on the packaging.
Not according to the listed ingredients for the classic varieties from Albert Heijn, Jumbo and PLUS. Still, check the packaging of the variety you buy, as the ingredients may change.
The product pages for the classic varieties mentioned list wheat, rye and milk or milk protein; PLUS also includes warnings about the possible presence of other ingredients. If you have an allergy, check the current ingredients and warnings on the packaging of both the taaitaai and any chocolate you choose.
Follow the storage advice and use-by date on the packaging. The product pages from Albert Heijn and Jumbo recommend storing their taaitaai in a cool, dry place; Albert Heijn advises keeping it in a sealed tin after opening.
