kruimel

Kruimel is a Dutch noun meaning a small fragment of bread, cake, biscuit, or pastry—essentially a crumb. In everyday language it refers to the tiny pieces that break off food or are produced by crumbling baked goods. The term is used in culinary contexts and can also be found in figurative speech to denote small remnants.

In cooking, kruimels can be fine or coarse and may be used as a topping or crust for desserts, or as a binding element in fillings. They can be made at home from stale bread, cookies, or cake, or purchased as ready-made crumb toppings. The Dutch dessert tradition includes dishes with a crumb topping, such as those commonly described as kruimeltaart or similar preparations where a crumbly texture is prominent.

Etymology: kruimel comes from Middle Dutch kruymel or kruimel and is cognate with German Krümel and English crumb. It is related to Proto-Germanic roots for small fragments and has parallels in other Germanic languages. In modern Dutch, the word preserves both literal and figurative senses of small remnants.

Usage notes: The plural form kruimels is standard when referring to multiple crumbs; kruimelig describes a crumbly texture. The term also appears in compound forms related to texture and toppings, such as crumb-based toppings on desserts or pastries.