Balkenbrij
Encyclopedia
Balkenbrij is a traditional Dutch
food. 'Panhas', 'Pannas' or 'Möppkenbrot' ar widely known in the whole northwest of Germany, the last variety is a speciality of middle Westphalia
.
At first it was made at the end of the slaughtering process at farms in the pot used to cook the swill. It shares some of the characteristics of scrapple
. It was eaten soon because of its poor shelf life
.
, boiled with flour (and sometimes blood, which turns the color from white to black) and bacon and mainly other various cuts of the animal like liver, kidney and lungs, all of which are cooked, ground, then cooked again with flour or oatmeal and a special spice mix ("rommelkruid") consisting of liquorice, sugar, anis, cinnamon, clove, white pepper, mace, ginger powder and sandalwood, and finally poured into a bowl and cooled off to achieve the form of a loaf.
Products for the broad consumer market are specially made of a planned portion of the slaughtered swine (blood, fat, minor muscle meat and sometimes intestines like liver or stomach. A staple ingredient in most German versions is pearl barley
.
with raisins. Balkenbrij is technically a relative of the American scrapple
and a distant relative of the English black pudding and Scottish Haggis
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
food. 'Panhas', 'Pannas' or 'Möppkenbrot' ar widely known in the whole northwest of Germany, the last variety is a speciality of middle Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
.
At first it was made at the end of the slaughtering process at farms in the pot used to cook the swill. It shares some of the characteristics of scrapple
Scrapple
Scrapple, also known by the Pennsylvania Dutch name pon haus, is traditionally a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and flour, often buckwheat flour, and spices. The mush is formed into a semi-solid congealed loaf, and slices of the scrapple are then panfried before serving...
. It was eaten soon because of its poor shelf life
Shelf life
Shelf life is the length of time that food, drink, medicine, chemicals, and many other perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable for sale, use, or consumption...
.
Preparation
As it is traditionally made of stock left over from the making of sausages like liverwurstLiverwurst
The German , that translates literally as "liver sausage," is the typical sausage served in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Slovenia, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Romania . Liverwurst normally contains pigs' livers, rather than calves' livers and also contains veal...
, boiled with flour (and sometimes blood, which turns the color from white to black) and bacon and mainly other various cuts of the animal like liver, kidney and lungs, all of which are cooked, ground, then cooked again with flour or oatmeal and a special spice mix ("rommelkruid") consisting of liquorice, sugar, anis, cinnamon, clove, white pepper, mace, ginger powder and sandalwood, and finally poured into a bowl and cooled off to achieve the form of a loaf.
Products for the broad consumer market are specially made of a planned portion of the slaughtered swine (blood, fat, minor muscle meat and sometimes intestines like liver or stomach. A staple ingredient in most German versions is pearl barley
Pearl barley
Pearl barley is barley processed to remove its hull and bran. Barley must have its fibrous outer hull removed before it can be eaten; pearl barley is taken a step further, polished to remove the nutritious bran layer....
.
Serving
The cuts of the loaf (about 1 cm thick) are covered in flour and fried. There are as many recipes as there are Dutch regions, and especially well known is the variety from GelderlandGelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...
with raisins. Balkenbrij is technically a relative of the American scrapple
Scrapple
Scrapple, also known by the Pennsylvania Dutch name pon haus, is traditionally a mush of pork scraps and trimmings combined with cornmeal and flour, often buckwheat flour, and spices. The mush is formed into a semi-solid congealed loaf, and slices of the scrapple are then panfried before serving...
and a distant relative of the English black pudding and Scottish Haggis
Haggis
Haggis is a dish containing sheep's 'pluck' , minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and traditionally simmered in the animal's stomach for approximately three hours. Most modern commercial haggis is prepared in a casing rather than an actual stomach.Haggis is a kind...
.