In the Netherlands of the 1940s, the day revolved around two bread meals (broodmaaltijd) in the morning and at noon — slices of rye or white bread, a bit of cheese or jam — framing a single hot meal in the evening (de warme maaltijd), most often a soup or a dish of vegetables and potatoes. In between came koffietijd, coffee time, an excuse for a treat. Under the Occupation and rationing, this structure persisted but grew thinner: bread turned gray, coffee became ersatz, and every treat felt like a celebration.

A legacy of Amsterdam's great spice trade, cinnamon perfumes Dutch pastries and especially the bolus, a treat of the city's Sephardic Jewish families. A pinch of sweet warmth in a world growing hard.