Broeder is the Dutch word for brother; this is how the dish is commonly known in West-Friesland.[1] "Jan in de zak", or "John in a bag", refers to the cooking method: the batter is boiled or steamed in a cotton bag;[2] the name is attested in West-Friesland and Drenthe.[3] The work "pork", attested in Drenthe and Twente as a name for the dish, also means "small child".[2]
The dish, which is also described as a "cooked bread",[4] is made with buckwheat flour, wheat flour, eggs, salt, and milk, and leavened with yeast. Raisins, currants, and succade are frequent additions.[2][4] The batter is poured into a cotton bag (frequently a pillow case), whose inside is floured lightly; the bag is closed and then cooked in a pot of boiling water. When done, it is sliced and served with butter and syrup.[4]
The dish resembles kig ha farz, a dish from Brittany, which differs from broeder mostly in the addition of a piece of meat.[5]
