A cinnamon roll (also known as cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon Danish and cinnamon snail) is a
sweet roll commonly served in
Northern Europe (mainly in
Nordic countries, but also in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
) and
North America. In
Sweden it is called ''kanelbulle'', in
Denmark
)
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it is known as ''kanelsnegl'', in
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
it is known as ''kanelbolle'', ''skillingsbolle'' or ''kanelsnurr'', in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...
it is known as ''korvapuusti'', in
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...
it is known as ''kanilsnúður'', and in
Estonia
Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and t ...
it is known as ''kaneelirull''. In
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
it is called ''Zimtschnecke''.
Pastry
A cinnamon roll consists of a rolled sheet of yeast-leavened
dough onto which a
cinnamon
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, brea ...
and
sugar mixture (and
raisins or other ingredients in some cases) is sprinkled over a thin coat of
butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread (food), spread, melted a ...
. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions and baked. The
deep fried version is cinnamon roll or cinnamon bun
doughnut. Its main ingredients are
flour
Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many c ...
, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavor.
Origins
Roman spice traders introduced the Sri Lankan cinnamon spice to Europe.
Much later, Sweden began using it in its pastries, developing the ''kanelbulle'' ().
Since 1999, October 4 has been promoted as
Cinnamon Roll Day (''Kanelbullens dag''). Swedish kanelbulle dough typically also contains
cardamom (powder or buds), giving it a distinctive flavour.
The size of a cinnamon roll varies from place to place, but many vendors supply a smaller size about in diameter and a larger size about to a side. The larger variety can be found in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bo ...
, called
''korvapuusti'' (, "pulling someone's ear for disciplining"), where it can be up to in diameter and weigh up to .
Haga, a district in
Gothenburg, Sweden, is well known for its very large cinnamon rolls. These cinnamon rolls are called ''hagabullar'' or 'Queen of the kitchen'. ''Hagabullar'' are usually or more in diameter and are, despite their size, not considered a communal roll. Each person usually orders one each.
National variations
The Swedish ''Butterkaka'' and Finnish ''bostonkakku'' ("Boston cake") is a cake made by baking cinnamon rolls in a round cake pan instead of baking them separately, so that they stick together to form a large, round cake.
A German variety, which closely follows the form of the Scandinavian pastry, originating in
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
and its surroundings is the ''
Franzbrötchen'', a cinnamon pastry inspired by the non-cinnamon French croissant.
The British version is called
Chelsea bun, which they invented in the 18th century. It is now available in cafes, supermarkets, and bakeries across the UK.
American cinnamon rolls are frequently topped with
icing (usually
confectioners' sugar-based) and are sometimes fried, finished with glaze, and served as a variation of a raised
donut
A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and fran ...
. There are also regional combinations: in the American
Midwest, especially
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...
, cinnamon rolls are commonly eaten with
chili
Chili or chilli may refer to:
Food
* Chili pepper, the spicy fruit of plants in the genus ''Capsicum''; sometimes spelled "chilli" in the UK and "chile" in the southwestern US
* Chili powder, the dried, pulverized fruit of one or more varieties ...
.
In Canada, they are known as cinnamon buns. They are usually self-glazed and not iced, nor do they usually have raisins. They can have so much cinnamon that they are spicy and hot to the taste.
In Austria and Germany they are available at every supermarket and bakery. Along with
Topfengolatsche,
Buttercroissant and
Faschingskrapfen they are a typical pastry to have with afternoon coffee.
Cinnamon roll traditions
In Sweden and Finland, cinnamon rolls are traditionally enjoyed during a coffee break, or
''fika'', which is a get-together with friends. National Cinnamon Bun Day (''Kanelbullens dag'') is observed on October 4 in Sweden and Finland.
In
North America, it is commonly eaten for breakfast or dessert. When eaten for a breakfast in the U.S., it may be served with
cream cheese frosting.
Gallery
File:Korvapuusti1.jpg, Finnish ''korvapuusti''
File:danskkanelsnegl.jpg, Danish ''kanelsnegl''
Image:Kanelboller.jpg, Norwegian ''skillingsbolle''
File:Cinnamon-Roll-US-Bakery.jpg, American cinnamon roll
See also
*
List of buns
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cinnamon Roll
Sweet breads
Swedish pastries
Danish pastries
Norwegian desserts
Finnish pastries
Icelandic cuisine
Estonian cuisine
German pastries
Austrian pastries
Buns
Cinnamon
American desserts
Canadian desserts