Vermaald

Vermaald is a Dutch term used as an adjective or past participle of vermalen, meaning to reduce to powder by grinding. It describes substances that have been milled to a fine consistency, typically a powder or fine grains, such as vermaalde koffie, vermaalde kruiden, or vermaalde cacao. The nuance is that vermaald stresses a finer or more powdery result than a coarser grind; in everyday language gemalen is often used for general ground forms, while vermaald implies a thorough pulverization.

Etymology and grammar: The verb vermalen combines malen (to grind) with the prefix ver-, which can indicate completion or intensification. The past participle vermaald is used as an adjective in both attributive and predicative positions: "vermaalde noten" or "de noten zijn vermaald."

Usage: In culinary, food-processing, and packaging contexts, vermaald appears on product labels to indicate the material has already been ground to powder for immediate use or for formulation. Examples include spices, seeds, nuts, cacao, and coffee substitutes. The term is common in Dutch-language recipes and industry documentation, though in everyday speech gemalen may be more common for coarser grinding, and fijngemalen for finely ground into powder.

See also: malen, gemalen, fijngemalen, poeder, koffiemolen.