Questions & Answers about Wij mengen het meel en de boter.
I've also learned the word bloem for flour. What's the difference between meel and bloem?
In Dutch baking, meel usually refers to whole grain flour, which includes the outer shell of the grain. Bloem is the refined, white flour where those outer parts have been sifted out.
Can I use the verb mixen instead of mengen here?
Yes, mixen is very common in Dutch, especially when using an electric mixer! Mengen is the traditional Dutch word for combining ingredients, whether you do it by hand or with a tool. Both are perfectly fine to use.
Why is it het meel but de boter?
Nouns in Dutch belong to one of two groups: de words or het words, and you have to memorize which is which. Meel is a het word, while boter is a de word. As a quick tip, many basic cooking substances are het words (like het zout and het water), but there are plenty of exceptions like de boter and de suiker!
Could I use we instead of wij in this sentence?