Vla
Encyclopedia
Vla is a Dutch
food product. It is a type of custard
(known in the United States
as cornstarch pudding).
product made from fresh milk
first appeared in the 1950s. Traditional vla is made of cooked milk
with custard, or with a combination of eggs
, cornstarch
, vanilla
and sugar
. Vla has the viscosity
of yoghurt
and is served cold, but is sweet rather than sour, and has a smooth texture.
Vla is available in many different flavours. Plain vanilla vla is frequently served as a vlaflip, with yoghurt and fruit syrup
. It comes in several flavours, such as chocolate, caramel, vanilla, banana, etc. and some are limited editions like orange (with an artificial orange flavours) sold only at the time of national events in the Netherlands like "koninginnedag
" or the world
and European championships
(as long as the Netherlands is still in the competition). Dairy producers will also regularly experiment with unusual variations.
Vla found in Dutch supermarkets is usually also made with other additives including thickeners. Vla was originally sold in glass bottles and the consistency made extracting the complete amount difficult, so a special bottle scraper
("flessenschraper" or "flessenlikker") was specifically designed. Despite the fact that vla is now normally sold in cartons, these scrapers are still common in Dutch family kitchens.
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 product. It is a type of custard
Custard
Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on a cooked mixture of milk or cream and egg yolk. Depending on how much egg or thickener is used, custard may vary in consistency from a thin pouring sauce , to a thick pastry cream used to fill éclairs. The most common custards are used as...
(known in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as cornstarch pudding).
Vla custard
This dairyDairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
product made from fresh milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
first appeared in the 1950s. Traditional vla is made of cooked milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
with custard, or with a combination of eggs
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
, cornstarch
Cornstarch
Corn starch, cornstarch, cornflour or maize starch is the starch of the corn grain obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel.-History:...
, vanilla
Vanilla
Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla, primarily from the Mexican species, Flat-leaved Vanilla . The word vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod...
and sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
. Vla has the viscosity
Viscosity
Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear or tensile stress. In everyday terms , viscosity is "thickness" or "internal friction". Thus, water is "thin", having a lower viscosity, while honey is "thick", having a higher viscosity...
of yoghurt
Yoghurt
Yoghurt, yogurt or yogourt is a dairy product produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yoghurt are known as "yoghurt cultures"...
and is served cold, but is sweet rather than sour, and has a smooth texture.
Vla is available in many different flavours. Plain vanilla vla is frequently served as a vlaflip, with yoghurt and fruit syrup
Fruit syrup
Fruit syrup as a food ingredient is a concentrated juice made from a less expensive fruit and used to sweeten more expensive products and to extend their quantity . A typical use would be for an "all-fruit" strawberry spread that contains apple juice as well as strawberries. It is regularly in...
. It comes in several flavours, such as chocolate, caramel, vanilla, banana, etc. and some are limited editions like orange (with an artificial orange flavours) sold only at the time of national events in the Netherlands like "koninginnedag
Koninginnedag
Koninginnedag or Queen's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 30 April , Koninginnedag is Queen Beatrix's official birthday. Though Queen Beatrix was born on 31 January, the holiday is observed on 30 April as it was the birthday of her mother and...
" or the world
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
and European championships
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
(as long as the Netherlands is still in the competition). Dairy producers will also regularly experiment with unusual variations.
Vla found in Dutch supermarkets is usually also made with other additives including thickeners. Vla was originally sold in glass bottles and the consistency made extracting the complete amount difficult, so a special bottle scraper
Bottle scraper
The bottle scraper is a Dutch kitchen tool similar to a small spatula. It is specifically designed to scrape the contents of long bottles that would be impossible to reach with other kitchen tools.The scraper is made of a long shaft, frequently around 30 cm in length...
("flessenschraper" or "flessenlikker") was specifically designed. Despite the fact that vla is now normally sold in cartons, these scrapers are still common in Dutch family kitchens.