Xmas bread

[Jan Ivarsson]

----- 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