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CINNAMON BUN DAY

FOOD AND DRINK

Cinnamon Bun Day: What’s it all about?

Swedes love their cinnamon buns so much they even gave the baked goods their own annual day - kanelbullens dag - offering sweet-toothed Swedes something special to celebrate. The Local finds out more.

Cinnamon Bun Day: What's it all about?

Every year on October 4th, the Swedes celebrate Cinnamon Bun Day. Cafes, restaurants, and convenience stores across the country sell the spiced Swedish buns.

The holiday was invented in 1999 by the Home Baking Council (Hembakningsrådet), a club of baking ingredient producers now run by Danish sugar company Dansukker. The company wanted to create a baking tradition in honour of its 40th anniversary.

“We wanted to celebrate home-baking,” Birgit Nilsson Bergström, project manager at the Home Baking Council, told The Local. “So we talked with various bakers, teachers, and just all sorts of ordinary people, and we asked what bread they thought of when they thought of home-baking. And that was it.”

The cinnamon bun itself has been a beloved pastry in Sweden since the 1920s. Money was tight during World War I, and it wasn’t until after the war that many Swedish households could afford to splurge on the ingredients.

The Swedish cinnamon bun is much less sticky and sweet than the typical American cinnamon roll. Another essential difference in Swedish cinnamon buns is the cardamom spice in the dough, which adds another dimension of flavour.

The buns are baked for just a few minutes in a very hot oven, making them light and fluffy with a golden brown surface. They are then topped with grains of “pearl sugar” as opposed to frosting or glaze.

Nowadays cinnamon rolls can be found around the world, but in Sweden they’ve got that extra something – a touch of Scandinavian simplicity.

“We’re experts at fika,” Bergström said with a laugh. “Our Swedish cinnamon rolls are simpler, more every-day, and yet tastier. They have less fat, less sugar… They’re more plain, but still festive for us, and very Swedish.”

IN PICTURES: As Swedish as cinnamon rolls? ‘Swedish’ cuisine unmasked

For Bergström, the bun-baking bonanza begins the night before the big day.

“I’m going to put the first batch of dough in the fridge tonight,” she told The Local on Thursday afternoon.

“I’ll bake it early in the morning, and invite over all of my neighbours in the apartment. If they’re not home I’ll leave a bag of buns outside the door.”

During the evening Bergström will be meeting for a celebration at a local cafe in Gothenburg. Participants will talk about buns and Sweden’s fika culture, and of course feast on the cinnamon concoctions. The Home Baking Council will also announce the winners of its contest to redesign the form of the cinnamon bun.

“The taste is perfect,” said Bergström. “There’s no need to change that. But it’d be fun to have a new design now and then. The pictures of the winning designs will be released next week.”

Cinnamon buns are not the only food so impeccably Swedish that they are celebrated in Sweden with their very own day. Fat Tuesday is irrevocably associated with semlor, and Waffle Day is always March 25th.

But here at The Local we wondered – how many of these Swedish “traditional” foods actually have their origins in Sweden? We did some sleuthing and found out. Even two of the key ingredients in the beloved cinnamon buns have travelled a long way to get here… Check out the gallery where we reveal the true origins of seven popular Swedish foods.

The Local/Solveig Rundquist

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FOOD AND DRINK

Five budget-friendly bars for a night out in Malmö

For Eurovision visitors, students or anyone else looking to have a good evening without breaking the bank, Malmö has plenty of pubs – which is good news for beer drinkers, as alcohol is famously expensive in Sweden.

Five budget-friendly bars for a night out in Malmö

Most of these are around the Möllan neighbourhood, which is more or less the centre of the city’s nightlife.

A general tip if you’re buying a beer anywhere in Sweden and aren’t too bothered about the exact one you get is to order a stor stark, literally a “big strong one”. These are usually half a litre of beer at around 5.5 percent ABV, so bear that in mind if that’s more than what you’re used to.

Nobes

Technically known as Gamle Nobes Bodega, everyone in Malmö calls it Nobes. Originally opened in 1937, Nobes is the closest you’re going to get to a British-style pub or German Bierhalle, with its tiled floor and rustic dark wooden décor.

As far as food is concerned, Nobes has some of the best traditional Swedish food in Malmö, with its kålpudding cabbage casserole, served with gravy, potatoes, pickled cucumber and lingonberry jam a must (it’s better than it sounds, we promise).

They have a dart board and sometimes have live music, and you can choose from a range of draft or bottled beers, ciders and wines.

Expect to pay a minimum of 60 kronor for a beer and around 160 kronor for food.

Address: Kristianstadsgatan 36

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 2pm-midnight, Fri 2pm-1am, Sat noon-1am and Sun noon-midnight

Ölkaféet

This is one of the most popular pubs in the Möllan neighbourhood, and that’s not just because it’s the unofficial supporters bar of the local football team, Malmö FF.

They’re cheap and cheerful, with reasonably priced pub grub, a heated outdoor seating area with views over the Möllan square and football matches on the TV, if that’s your kind of thing.

They even have a small library, a gallery wall with works by local artists, and board games like backgammon, checkers and chess, which you can borrow.

If there are no seats (it can get busy on the weekend), Vegan Bar next door is a good alternative, even for non-vegans.

A standard 50cl beer (veckans öl or “beer of the week”, despite the fact it hasn’t changed in years) costs around 65 kronor, with a burger costing around 140 kronor.

Address: Södra Skolgatan 43 – or just walk to the Möllevångstorget square and look for the bright blue awnings.

Opening hours: All days 10am-1am

Rex Pizzeria

Rex, on Nobelvägen, is probably the best example of a classic Swedish pizzeria that you can find in Malmö.

A warning: leave any expectation of Italian-style pizzas at the door, as Rex is firmly in the Swedish-style fulpizza category.

Their pizzas, such as the Tropicana, with cheese, tomato, ham, banana and curry powder, almost make a Hawaiian pizza look tame – although you can get more normal pizza toppings too if banana and curry is a bit too wild for you. They also have vegetarian and vegan options, for groups with allergies or other dietary restrictions.

Pizzas aside, Rex is also a popular pub with cheap drinks, shuffleboard and pool tables, and a nice outdoor serving area in summer. They often host quizzes, standup or other entertainment in their event room in the basement.

Beers cost around 60 kronor and pizzas range from 70 to 140 kronor.

Address: Nobelvägen 107

Opening hours: Tues-Sat 11am-1am, Sun-Mon 11am-11pm

Azalee

If you’re looking for a cheap bar which also provides the evening’s entertainment, Azalee’s your best bet.

This bar is a bizarre mix of casino, karaoke bar and pub, and an evening of karaoke here is equally as entertaining whether you’re getting up on stage yourself or just listening to the other guests get progressively worse at singing as the night goes on.

They offer classic pub fare at around 150-200 kronor and reasonably priced drinks.

Address: Claesgatan 8

Opening hours: Weds-Tors 4pm-1am, Fre-Sat 4pm-3am

Karaoke: Weds and Thurs, 8pm-1am, Friday and Saturday 8pm-3am

Blackjack Weds-Sat 6pm-close

Entry fee: 50kr after 11pm on weekends

Lion Bar

The picturesque Lilla Torg area of Malmö is not known for being cheap, but Lion Bar (a national chain) is an exception, offering a 40cl beer for under 40kr.

Food wise, they offer standard pub grub – nachos, buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks, burgers and so on – with deals on some food items.

Unsurprisingly, the prices rise if you stray from the special offers, particularly if ordering cocktails or wine.

Address: Landbygatan 4

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 3pm-midnight, Fri-Sat 3pm-1am

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