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

FAQs

What is lussekatter made of? ›

The main ingredients are plain flour, butter, yeast, caster sugar, currants and sultanas. Larger versions baked in a loaf tin are known as saffron cake. Similar buns are Swedish lussebulle or lussekatt, Norwegian lussekatt.

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.

The Lucia celebrations also include gingerbread biscuits and sweet, saffron-flavoured buns (lussekatter) shaped like curled-up cats and with raisin eyes. You eat them with glögg, Swedish mulled wine, or coffee.

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.

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.

St Lucia buns, or Lussekatter are Swedish buns eaten for breakfast with coffee or as an afternoon treat on the 13^th December, or St Lucia Day. The saffron gives a lovely cheerful appearance to the buns, which is just perfect in the depths of the dark winter (and especially so in Sweden!).

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.

On 13 December, Sweden celebrates Lucia Day. The event symbolizes light in a dark winter. Celebrated annually in December, this historic custom is an atmospheric event involving Christmassy treats and a singing line-up of candle-carrying characters dressed (mostly) in white gowns.

The nation's best-known species is the gorgeous but endangered Saint Lucia amazon parrot. Other species of conservation concern include the pencil cedar, staghorn coral and Saint Lucia racer. The racer, confined to the nine-hectare island of Maria Major, is thought to be the world's most threatened snake.

The signature meal you should have in Saint Lucia is green figs and salt fish, the island's national dish. Locals boil unripe bananas and then add salt-cured boiled or flaked cod.

What are three traditions of 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.

Today, traditional celebrations of Santa Lucia vary according to the region. However, this is still an Italian holiday, so you know that there will be feasting. Families across Italy typically gather together on December 13 for a delicious meal ofcaserecce (literally homemade pasta), roasted meats, and light sweets.

To draw out the colour and to ensure that it's evenly distributed throughout the dish it's to be added to, steep saffron threads in a little warm water, stock, milk or white wine for about 30 mins before using. Then add the liquid to the dish, usually towards the end of cooking.

We've already said that saffron threads need to be steeped or brewed in liquid to withdraw the incomparable flavor and golden color. This is sometimes called blooming the saffron and it's easier than it sounds. For example, just add a couple of threads to a pot of uncooked rice for a huge flavor boost.

“Saffron threads are typically soaked in warm liquid beforehand if they're not being added to a wet dish. Soak your saffron in warm water, stock, wine or milk, depending on what you plan to add it to; this aids in the release of flavour and colour from the fine threads.

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.

Food plays a central role in St. Lucia's Christmas celebrations. Families gather to prepare and enjoy traditional dishes such as “green figs and saltfish,” which consists of green bananas and salted codfish, and “black cake,” a rum-soaked fruitcake.

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.

It's thought that saffron came to Cornwall as early as 4000BC with foreign merchants bringing it with them when they were trading in tin. Ever since the Cornish have been cooking with it and the traditional saffron bun gradually developed.