Haga's drabble cake factory
Haga's drabbelkoekfabriek
Sneek is also called 'drabbelkoekstad' during carnival, after the crispy sweet drabbelkoeken that are traditionally baked here. This Frisian tradition is kept alive by the Sneek butter drabbelkoekenfabriek 'De Friese Sjees'. This small-scale family business was already a supplier to the court of Willem III in 1880 and Queen Beatrix since 1990.
Anyone curious about the preparation method of these drabbelkoeken can visit the factory free of charge. The cakes are made here, largely by hand one by one, according to a secret recipe. The basis is a weak dough whose main ingredient is buckwheat flour. This substance is baked in hot butter. This whole process is called ´drabble´.
In the past, drabbelkoeken were a delicacy for the elite. Rum butter was very expensive. As a result, a tin of fifteen cakes cost as much as one guilder, a hefty sum when you consider that the average weekly wage at the time was about seven guilders. Nowadays, fortunately, the common man can also enjoy drabbelkoeken. ´De Friese Sjees´ sells them loose and in cans, and you can also buy Haga´s drabbelkoeken at the Sneek confectioners.
(Photo site haga drabbelkoeken)