Swedish Cardamon Bread Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

Why do Scandinavians use cardamom? ›

In Scandinavian culture, cardamom often represents comfort and home and family and holiday treats–similar to how we in the U.S. view cinnamon, perhaps.

Pulla is also common in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Northern Ontario, areas in the United States and Canada which have large Finnish populations. There it is also commonly known as nisu, an old Finnish word still in use with the same meaning in some dialects, despite originally simply meaning 'wheat'.

Cardamom is not native to Sweden, but it has become an integral part of Swedish cuisine. During the Middle Ages, traders brought spices from the East to Sweden, and cardamom was one of them. Over time, cardamom became a staple in Swedish baking and cooking, especially in sweet dishes like these buns.

Culinary archaeologist Daniel Serra, who co-wrote the book An Early Meal – a Viking Age Cookbook and Culinary Odyssey, believes that cardamom first became of interest in Scandinavia in the 13th Century for both its medicinal and culinary use, as documented in the old cookbook Libellus de Arte Coquinaria.

Green cardamom seeds are the third most expensive spice in the world, after saffron and vanilla. The main reason is that it needs to be harvested by hand. It's a time-consuming procedure of handpicking and it is grown only in a few places throughout the world.

Whether it's on a table or in a proverb, rye bread has long been a cultural and nutritional cornerstone for Finns. It was also voted Finland's national food for the centenary celebrations of the country's independence, in 2017.

Cardamom bread in Scandinavia

Cardamom is a typical spice found in southern Indian cooking and curries, but over the centuries of spice trade it made its way to Scandinavia and is the star ingredient in Finnish and Swedish baking.

Traditional Eastern Finnish rye bread is called limppu. The closest translation to English would be "loaf" (although limppu is always round and bulbous, while rectangular loaves are available). This bread is dark, sour in taste, dense, heavy and comparatively dry.

Pågenlimpan - Sweden's best-selling loaf.

Kavring is a classic Swedish bread that started by traveling through the Nordic countries. It originated as a crisp rye bread in Norway, and then, in the late 1800s, it evolved into a slightly sweet, tender, and fragrant loaf in southern Sweden.

What is the famous bun in Sweden? ›

The semla – a small, wheat flour bun, flavoured with cardamom and filled with almond paste and whipped cream – has become something of a carb-packed icon in Sweden.

Swedish cookbook author Johanna Kindvall says that many Swedes believe the Vikings brought cardamom to Scandinavia, having encountered the spice in the bazaars of Constantinople (today's Istanbul) about 1,000 years ago.

However, some 95% of cardamom produced in India is for domestic purposes, and India is itself by far the most important consuming country for cardamoms in the world. India also imports cardamom from Sri Lanka.

Cardamom holds significant cultural value in various parts of the world. It has been a part of traditional medicine systems, cultural rituals, and religious ceremonies for centuries. Cardamom is often used in religious offerings, as well as in concoctions and beverages during social gatherings and festivals.

Cardamom is an herb that is often used as a spice in foods. The seeds and the oil from the seeds are sometimes used to make medicine. Cardamom contains chemicals that might kill some bacteria, reduce swelling, and help the immune system.