plakjes

Plakjes is the diminutive plural form of plakje in Dutch, referring to small, flat pieces or slices of material. The word combines plak (to paste or plate) with the diminutive suffix -je. In practice, plakjes describe uniform, thin fragments produced by slicing a larger item.

In culinary contexts plakjes are common for ready-to-eat foods and sandwiches. Examples include kaasplakjes (cheese slices), hamplakjes (ham slices), komkommerplakjes (cucumber slices), and fruit plakjes. They are typically produced by slicing machines or by hand, and sold in sealed packaging. The thickness and texture vary by product and brand, and refrigeration is often required to maintain freshness and prevent sticking.

Outside food contexts, plakjes can refer more generally to small flat pieces of other materials that are intended to be laid on or affixed to surfaces, such as labels or decorative elements. In everyday speech, plakplaatjes or stickers is more common for adhesive decorations, though plakjes may appear in informal compound terms. The term is widely understood in the Netherlands and Flanders, where the plural form commonly describes grocery items as seen on shelves or in recipes.