U-level

We know this artisanal handmade candy from grandmother's time and can only be found in artisanal candy stores where they sell Old Dutch sweets.
I was in a beautiful town called Veere this week, where you still have such an artisan candy store. It was like going back in time. I walked by and there was a sign outside with sweets written on it. The first name of the type of candy written on the plate was Ulevellen.
It brought me directly to the memory of the past.

Jetje's birthday would treat

As a child, I had received a booklet with children's verses from the past. When I saw the candy store in Veere and the word Ulevellen, I immediately reminded me of the booklet, but also of my grandfather who would regularly treat the children's verse Birthday Jetje sang to me. It went something like this:
Jetje's birthday would treat
All the girls in the class.
Jetje had chosen something
What she loved so much herself.
She brought Ulevellen with her,
each got at least two.
She brought Ulevellen with her,
each got at least two.
The song consisted of three verses. He sang all three verses to me, but I always remembered the first verse, because it was the easiest in terms of words to sing along and remember.
You can see the song below in the pictures.
I got the candies too. They used to sit in a piece of paper, often with a small rhyme. Later, you also saw them in boxes.

What exactly is an ulevel?

A ulevel is a handmade artisanal candy that consists of solidified sugar. It's boiled or baked sugar.
White sugar is heated until it is liquid and then a flavor is added. After that, the liquid is cooled, which causes the sugar to solidify. During the cooling process, the sugar is stirred. Once the sugar is stiff, it is poured into a baking tin and then poured onto parchment paper and then diced after cooling and then you have ulevels.
The word Ulevel originates from Italy and refers to the word olivella, which means olive. In the past, olives were sugared in Italy as a remedy for breast disease.
The meaning of Ule cells is: the unevenness. That is also true, since each candy is unique and not the same in shape because it is handmade.