St. Lucia Saffron Buns Recipe, Swedish Lussekatter Rolls (2024)

FAQs

Why is it called lussekatter? ›

Why is it called Lussekatter? It is thought that the buns were originally modeled after a sleeping cat (the S-shape being the curled up tail), believed to ward off the devil.

Saffron Buns - x3 Packets - Rowes Cornish Bakers.

The history of saffron buns in Sweden

Jan-Öjvind Swahn mentions that this German model, “Christ-kindelein”, was accompanied by a devil figure. This apparently gave the bread its older name, “döfvelskatter”, meaning “devil cats”, an expression seen in Swedish for the first time in the late 19th century.

Originally, the buns were called djävulskatter (“devil cats”), but later the name changed to the more polite lussekatter (“Lucia cats”). The dough is sweet and soft, but spiced with a generous amount of saffron to make it bright yellow.

St. Lucia is celebrated throughout the world, and honored by many cultures. In Sweden, Lucia symbolizes the coming end of the long winter nights and the return of light to the world.

They have a sweet Saffron flavor and the most beautiful golden color. The down-side to the Lussekatter is that they don't keep well and they really should be eaten the same day they are baked.

Scandinavian St Lucia bun

The buns are baked into many traditional shapes, of which the simplest is a reversed S-shape. They have traditional religious symbolism and are eaten during Advent, and especially on Saint Lucy's Day, 13 December.

Kashmiri saffron, also known as Kashmiri Kesar or Kashmir Saffron, is highly regarded for its exceptional quality and is considered among the finest saffron varieties in the world. It is cultivated in the Kashmir region of India, where the climate and soil conditions create an ideal environment for saffron production.

If you don't have a personal hook-up, it is possible, if not strictly legal, to find it in the United States. You can look in Persian grocery stores (look for deep red threads labeled “negin” or “super negin” that you might even be able to smell through the packaging) or seek out options online.

Saffron first arrived in Sweden via trade with Asia in the 1300s and was traditionally reserved for holiday baking because of its extravagance. There are a number of ways bakers extract color and flavor from the spice.

Why is saffron cheap in Sweden? ›

Buying saffron in Sweden

If you are visiting Sweden it is worth bringing some saffran (saffron) back with you, as it is much cheaper there because the turnover is much greater. Saffron is normally sold ready ground in Sweden.

Cinnamon has been used as a flavouring in cooking for a long time. History books tell us that Gustav Vasa was a big fan and ambassador of cinnamon and he made sure that the Swedes had access to this delicious spice.

Whether it's homemade or store-bought, banana bread is a top choice for dessert in Saint Lucia. Also known as banana cake, often ingredients include nuts, spices, and of course banana, the main attraction.

Satisfy your sweet tooth while in St. Lucia with a traditional dessert. Paime (also referred to as pemmie) is a Creole sweet treat that pays homage to the island's heritage. It's made with a mixture of mashed pumpkin, dried coconut, cinnamon, sugar, and cornmeal that's all tucked inside a green banana leaf.

If you don't have saffron or simply want to make St Lucia buns without saffron, you can use turmeric instead, to give the lussekatter their classic yellow color. Or some people choose to add turmeric on top of the saffron, to make the buns extra yellow.

In the 19^th century in western Sweden, young women on the large farms would dress as an angel with a wreath of candles in their hair and serve the breakfast before sunrise. It is thought this is where the origin of lussekatter, the saffron buns, came to be.

A Lussekatt is a Swedish saffron bun with raisins that is baked and eaten at the 13th of December as part of the St Lucia tradition. The word lussekatt roughly translates to Lucy cat. The lussekatt is made from a more or less a standard sweet wheat dough which is flavored with saffron.

The national tree of Saint Lucia is Calabash, where as the national plant is Bamboo.

Etymology. Saint Lucia was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse (AD 283 – 304). Saint Lucia is one of two sovereign states in the world named after a woman and is the only one named after a human woman (Ireland is named after a goddess).