A milk cake in Thailand
Our acclaimed editor-in-chief Dick van der Lugt recently announced that the new Thailandblog booklet would be presented to the Dutch ambassador in Thailand. Not during an official meeting, as with the first booklet, but the handover would take place “during an informal get-together over a cup of coffee with a biscuit”.
Milk cake in a restaurant?
I believe that cup of coffee, but I doubt whether it is indeed served with a traditional Dutch maria cake. It could be if that meeting takes place at someone's home, but if it happens in a restaurant or coffee shop, there will undoubtedly be something else "tasty". It has to be because we Dutch people don't want "bare" coffee, it includes a cookie. However, a maria biscuit in such an establishment is unheard of.
Sobriety
Most likely, Dick used the milk biscuit to make it clear that there would be no champagne and cakes at the presentation and that the gathering would take place in a sober way.
The use of the milk biscuit to illustrate sobriety is not new. Coincidentally, I just read Glues/Cheese by Willem Elschot and it also mentions once “the tea met a maria cookie" used to convey the atmosphere of an apparently important meeting of “men in business”. That book was written in the year 1933.
The "Maria biscuit consultation"
The most famous incident involving a biscuit comes from former Prime Minister Willem Drees (1895-1988). In 1947 he received two senior American representatives at his home at 502 Beeklaan in The Hague. They met to discuss the allocation of Marshall Aid funding. Drees' wife served both gentlemen with a meager cup of tea and a biscuit. According to the story – or it where happened, is not certain - the Americans were quite impressed by Drees' Dutch modesty. To a country with such an ordinary, austere Prime Minister, everyone was money well spent.
It is also possible vice versa. Commenting on my last Statement of the Week about prison sentences in Thailand, a commenter (Eric) said the following: "I have a gut feeling that judges in Thailand are not immune to an extra cup of tea with a milkshake" in a discussion with the defense of a suspected person". You may guess what exactly Eric meant by it.
Milk cake in Thailand
However, if Dick really meant the milk biscuit, then the meeting did not take place in Thailand. They are not for sale here! Oh, enough cookies, you know, none of that. Whole shelves of floury sweets can be found in the supermarkets, usually made in Thailand, China or Indonesia. I have also seen Bahlsen, the Beukelaer, but they are really expensive. I always have a pack of biscuits in the house to satisfy my hunger at about four in the afternoon until dinner. Tasty? Oh, it's okay, because I'd much rather wear it a petit beurre, pretzel, macaroon, janhagel, gingerbread or, if necessary, one of those dry maria biscuits nibble.
Dear Gringo,
The stroopwafels are for sale in Thailand, even at Amazon coffee shops along the road.
And Thai people generally love it. They are sweet.
I won't miss those maria cheeses.
By the way, there are packs of rectangular biscuits (I don't know the name at the moment) for sale, in various flavors, which taste a lot like maria biscuits.
I've never been much of a cookie fan.
I like cake more.
Dick can bake real iron biscuits from Vlaardingen!
Give me a wafer from De Stroper, with a good cup of real Belgian coffee, also for sale in the Big C, extra. watch out for addiction!
During a visit to the battlefields of WW1 around Diksmuide, last September, we also visited the biscuit factory of Jules Destropere. Had never heard of it. But fair is fair; the LUK biscuits are also tasty.
Rectangular biscuits: Handsome (from Verkade, of course).
The story about Willem Drees will have to be adjusted slightly: it was not so much about the biscuits that were served, but mainly about the modest interior of the house and the house itself.
The gentlemen felt good that the money from the aid would also be well spent.
Zaandam…. I have the book 100 years of Verkade in my possession. It's a shame that the company lost so much of its praise! Adapted too late to new forms of trade? In Belgium I managed the Belgium-Luxembourg merger and subsequently the sale of Wasa and the cookies to Delacre. Chocolate sales in Belgium were a complete disaster. They strictly adhered to full chocolate (six types in different sizes and then the chocolate letters) while the market demanded filled chocolate. Beautiful company by the way... Beautiful buildings and a social status to match!
Past?
In Belgium, the biscuit you presented was called Marieke.
Greetings,
Jan
As I read it, Gerrie Achterhuis brought these Maria biscuits into Thailand.
Still very special that the Green Parrot could present this, almost certainly that our ambassador Johan Boer and his charming wife who are really very modest without Phoe Ha have been surprised.
Maria biscuits are popularly called soos biscuits here because they are so cheap
Dear Gringo,
Willem Drees was not born in 1895, but in 1886. As a result, he was able to enjoy his own state pension for 37 years. That was looking ahead!