Xmas bread

[Beverly Flanigan]

You're right on non-braided Julekake/kage (I can't recall whether my mixed
Norwegian/Swedish family in Minnesota voiced it or not).  For us, this was
full of raisins, citron (ugh), and maybe nuts, and I think it was usually
round and white (with a glazed top).  The braided form sounds like Lucia
bread, which would be Swedish, but I suspect braiding was done across all
the groups. Yummy!

At 01:19 PM 12/4/00 -0600, you wrote:
>I don't believe that Jjule kage is braided.  The bread I have in mind
>starts with a four-braid topped with a two braid then a tree braid then a
>twisted single.  I am fairly sure it is Norwegian rather than Swedish.  It
>wa readily available at Xmas time in Fargo North Dakota in the 40's and
>50's.Any Norwegians out there or North Dakotans/Minnesotans?
>
>At 05:26 PM 12/4/00 +0100, Jan Ivarsson wrote:
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Lynne Murphy" <lynnem at COGS.SUSX.AC.UK>
> >To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Sent: den 3 december 2000 21:33
> >Subject: Re: Xmas bread
> >
> >
> >> --On Sunday, December 3, 2000 2:29 pm -0600 "Robert S. Wachal"
> >> <robert-wachal at UIOWA.EDU> wrote:
> >>
> >> > What's the name of the  Scandinavian Christmas bread thatt is
> braided wit
> >> > a yellow interior stuffed with raisins and glaceed fruit?  And is it
> >> > Norwegian, Swedish, or both?
> >>
> >>
> >> I searched "Swedish Christmas bread" on Infoseek and came up with Jule
> >> Kaga.  Recipe at:
> >>
> >> http://www.breadrecipe.com/AZ/JuleKaga.asp
> >>
> >> Lynne
> >>
> >What Mr. Wachal is asking about is probably a Swedish bread, but the above
> >recipe is for what Swedes call "kardemummabröd" (cardamoun bread)
> >and is not particularly connected with Christmas.
> >At Christmas, Swedes usually make "vörtbröd", rather sweet, brown loaves
>of rye bread
> >flavored with brewer's wort and raisins, but they also make different
>types of saffron bread.
> >The latter can be in the form of long braids, flavored with raisins and
>small pieces
> >of sour orange peelings ("jullängd" or "saffransfläta") or be made into
>smaller
> >breads with traditional forms, "julkuse", "parson's hair", etc.
> >One very popular form is "lussekatt", made for the Lucia fest 13th of
>December.
> >It does not look like a cat at all, but got its curious name from its
> origin,
> >the German "Teufelskatze", a similar bread often presented to children
> >with accompanying devil figures.
> >
> >Jan Ivarsson, Sweden
> >
> >


_____________________________________________
Beverly Olson Flanigan         Department of Linguistics
Ohio University                     Athens, OH  45701
Ph.: (740) 593-4568              Fax: (740) 593-2967
http://www.cats.ohiou.edu/linguistics/dept/flanigan.htm