Vlokken

Vlokken is a Dutch noun meaning small, flat, thin pieces that have been produced by breaking, shaving, or flaking. The term is used across different contexts to describe fragments with a flaky surface or texture, and it is common in both culinary and industrial language.

In food production, cereal flakes are typically made by processing grains such as oats, rice, or corn. The grains are cleaned, partially cooked or steamed, and then rolled into thin sheets before being dried and toasted. The result is edible vlokken that are eaten as breakfast cereals or used as ingredients in baking and snacks. Varieties differ in thickness, toasting level, sweetness, and fortification with vitamins or minerals.

Outside food, vlokken describe small flakes of non-edible materials. Examples include metal flakes used for decorative coatings or pigments, mineral flakes such as mica in cosmetics and paints, soap flakes used in laundry, and various wood or cellulose-derived flakes in papermaking and composites. The term is therefore a general descriptor for any lightweight, flat fragments produced by breaking or shaving a material.

The word vlokken can appear in compound forms in Dutch, such as havervlokken for oat flakes or rijstv lokken for rice flakes, reflecting its broad applicability to different materials. In usage, vlokken emphasizes the flaky, thin, and dispersed nature of the pieces, regardless of the material.