Zwarte Piet and Jews' biscuits

About 7 years ago I was sitting in an office in Amsterdam mid-morning on 6 December when a guy in a funny costume with his face blackened up rushes in with a sack full of presents for the staff.

" It's Zwarte Piet " I was told, or Black Pete. 6 December is Sint Niklaas day in Holland when it is customary to dish out Xmas presents. I was amazed. It was like the golliwog on the Robertsons label come alive. If this happened in a London office there would be questions in Parliament, accusations of how racist the UK is and a full inquiry. Zwarte Piet was dispensing a box of small cigars for Xmas. I was in two minds as to whether or not to accept the present but I took the cigars.

Last year the management of an Amsterdam hotel left a tin of Jodenkoeken biscuits, or Jews' biscuits, in my room as a loyalty gift for my continued custom. I think it was pure coincidence. I had never heard of Jodenkoeken before. They are made by a company called Davelaar in a town called Alkmaar, north of Amsterdam. Presumably they were made by Jews hundreds of years ago and the name stuck but I cannot find much about this on Google, except for another Dutch biscuit called Negerkoeken or Negro biscuits, so called because they are chocolate covered.

I thought that we could have a character called Friendly Fagin or Jolly Mordechai, with a false hook nose and a big black beard with payos wearing a medieval costume with a yellow star, horns optional, dishing out Chanucah presents. If this was successful perhaps we could franchise the operation, each Fagin with his own territory.