Cardamom breads, including the Finnish Finnish: pulla (or Finnish: nisu) and Swedish Swedish: kardemummabröd and Swedish: kardemummabullar, are a group of enriched breads or pastry flavored with cardamom. They are eaten throughout the year, typically with coffee or tea.
Cardamom[1] is a spice used in several Nordic countries in cakes, cookies, and biscuits, including traditional Finnish Christmas pastries.[2]
| Finnish: Vehnänen, pulla | |
| Alternate Name: | Finnish: nisu, biscuitia |
| Country: | Finland |
| Type: | Sweet roll |
| Main Ingredient: | cardamom seeds; raisins or sliced almonds |
Finnish: Pulla (in Finnish pronounced as /ˈpulːɑ/) is a mildly-sweet Finnish sweet roll or dessert bread flavored with crushed cardamom seeds and occasionally raisins or sliced almonds. Braided loaves (Finnish: pitko) are formed from three or more strands of dough. The loaves may also be formed into a ring. They are typically coated with egg wash and then sprinkled with white sugar or almonds. Other types of include small round buns that resemble English scones but have a sugar and butter topping, and larger cinnamon rolls called Finnish: korvapuusti. The outside typically has a shiny, brown glaze, formed by a coating of egg white, milk or a mixture of sugar and brewed coffee.
Usually is baked as a small, round, brioche-style loaf, which is served whole, or as a long loaf called Finnish: pullapitko, which is sliced, and can be braided to make it more decorative and festive. Some variations are topping it with chopped walnuts and vanilla icing, raisins added to the dough, cinnamon rolls (called Finnish: korvapuusti, sometimes topped with pearl sugar or almond flakes[3]), butter and sugar buns called Finnish: voisilmäpulla, berry toppings and curd filled buns called Finnish: rahkapulla. For special occasions, saffron may be added to the dough to impart flavour and a yellow tint.
In Finland, is often served with coffee. In cafeterias, the quality of the is considered a sign of the establishment's overall quality.
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 Finnish: nisu, an old Finnish word still in use with the same meaning in some dialects, despite originally simply meaning 'wheat'. The term Finnish: korppu refers instead to a biscotti-like, double-baked breadstick for dunking in coffee that is often made from leftover Finnish: nisu.[4]
Swedish cardamom breads include Swedish: kardemummabröd (bread) and Swedish: kardemummabullar (buns). is known in Swedish as Swedish: bulle or Swedish: kanelbulle.
Cardamom bread is considered a traditional food among Swedish Americans.[5] [6] [7] Cardamom buns are eaten along with coffee or tea.[8]