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.

There it was believed that the devil, in the form of a cat, would give the bad children a beating, while a Christ figure, in the form of a child, would hand out sweet buns to all the kind ones. To keep the devil away, the sweet buns were colored with luminous yellow saffron spice.

Every year, on December 13, golden-hued saffron buns bake in ovens across Scandinavia. Eating this sweet bread—known as lussebullar or lussekatter in Sweden and Norway, luciabrød, in Denmark, and lucia-pullat in Finland—heralds the celebration of St. Lucia's Day.

A saffron bun is a fairly low maintenance snack which can be enjoyed alongside a cup of tea or coffee. It can be eaten fresh or toasted and you can add butter or some traditional Cornish Clotted Cream.

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.

Alongside Midsummer, the Lucia celebrations represent one of the foremost cultural traditions in Sweden, with their clear reference to life in the peasant communities of old: darkness and light, cold and warmth. Lucia is an ancient mythical figure with an abiding role as a bearer of light in the dark Swedish winters.

Despite being the world's most expensive spice, saffron is widely used in Swedish food. It features heavily around Christmas time in saffransbullar (saffron buns), but it is also used in a number of other sweet and savoury dishes. It is used both because of its bright yellow colour and its distinctive flavour.

The Swedish cinnamon bun is much less sticky than, for example, the American cinnamon roll. Swedish cinnamon buns also have the very specific addition of a bit of cardamom spice in the dough which adds another delicious dimension of flavouring.

The semla – a small, wheat flour bun, flavoured with cardamom and filled with almond paste and whipped cream – has become something of a carb-packed icon in Sweden.

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.

What dessert is St Lucia known for? ›

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.

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.

This sweet, saffron-flavoured bun, known as 'lussekatt' (directly translated as 'Lucia cat'), is typically shaped into the letter 'S' to look like a curled-up cat, with raisins for decoration to resemble the cat's eyes.

Scandinavian St Lucia bun

In addition to Sweden, they are also prepared and eaten in much the same way in Finland, particularly in Swedish-speaking areas, and by Swedish-speaking Finns, as well as in Norway and less commonly in Denmark.

Takeaway Advice. Saffron threads should not be consumed in excess. 2-3 strands consumed per day are enough for you.

What is a Lussekatt? 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).

Jouvert (Christmas Day)

Immediately after Catholic midnight mass on Christmas Eve, rural communities across St Lucia begin their daybreak street party celebrations to welcome and honour Christmas morning. Each party is different - some have specific themes, whereas others invite people to just come along as they are.