What foods are eaten on St Lucia day?
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What foods are eaten on St Lucia day?
Families observe St. Lucia’s Day in their homes by having one of their daughters (traditionally the eldest) dress in white and serve coffee and baked goods, such as saffron bread (lussekatter) and ginger biscuits, to the other members of the family. These traditional foods are also given to visitors during the day.
How do you eat saffron buns?
They can be eaten on their own, or more often, split in half and smothered with butter on one side. They contain dried fruit like currants, raisins, mixed peel and sultanas, similar to tea cakes, and echo similar buns created across Scandinavia such as the lussekatt which is traditionally eaten during Advent.
How do you eat Lussekatter?
Lussekatter are best eaten when freshly baked, so for a real breakfast treat prepare the buns the night before, cover with clingfilm (food wrap) and store in a fridge overnight. Always freeze the buns as soon as they are cold and defrost only what you will use on the same day. Lussekatter are best served slightly warm.
What do Swedes eat on St Lucia day?
Lussekatts
A popular food eaten at St. Lucia’s day are ‘Lussekatts’, St Lucia’s day buns flavored with saffron and dotted with raisins which are eaten for breakfast. St Lucia’s Day first became widely celebrated in Sweden in the late 1700s. St Lucia’s Day is also celebrated in Denmark, Norway, Finland, Bosnia, and Croatia.
Where did saffron buns originate?
Cornwall, Netherlands
Saffron bun
| Alternative names | Saffron cake, saffron loaf, tea treat bun, St Lucia bun |
|---|---|
| Type | Sweet roll or yeasted cake |
| Place of origin | Cornwall, Netherlands, Sweden |
| Main ingredients | currants or raisins, saffron, cinnamon or nutmeg |
| Cookbook: Saffron bun |
Why is saffron popular in Cornwall?
In the 14th century Cornwall had a healthy trade in tin with its Spanish neighbours, who in turn had trade routes across the globe, one theory is that saffron first arrived through them. And this fantastic aromatic spice made its way into our Cornish cooking.
Why is it called Lussekatter?
In Folk I Fest author Jan Öjvind Swahn states that Lucia buns, known as lussekatter, are reminiscent of the devil because in old Swedish tradition they were called djävulskatter, or the devil’s cat and the s-shaped form is intended to represent a cat curled up.
Do people decorate for St Lucia Day?
Decorate for the holiday. Lucia’s colors are red and white, but you could also decorate with the Swedish flag. You can use crepe paper, bunting, and tablecloths in red and white. Most Christmas decorations would also be appropriate for St. Lucia Day, especially decorations with evergreens or candles.
What is the motto for St Lucia?
The land, the people, the light
Motto: “The land, the people, the light”
What spice makes the Swedish St Lucia buns yellow?
saffron
While cinnamon makes its way into everyday fika baking, saffron is reserved to enrich buns (lussebullar) in honor of Santa Lucia Day.
Who founded saffron?
Some historians believe that saffron first came to China with Mongol invaders by way of Persia. Saffron is mentioned in the ancient Chinese medical text Shennong Ben Cao Jing, believed to be from the 3rd century AD (but attributed to mythological emperor Shennong).
What is a Lucia cat?
The name, Lussekatter, means “Lucia cats” and comes from the way the scrolled buns looks like a cat’s tail and the fact that they are common to serve on Saint Lucia’s Feast Day in December.
