Not many things make us more nostalgic and remind us more of our childhood than the smell of freshly baked cinnamon buns. Is there anything better than walking into a kitchen filled with the smell of these heavenly buns when they have just made their way out the of oven? 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. He imported massive amounts of cinnamon for his wedding for everyone to enjoy. This is what gave rise to another Swedish delicacy: mulled wine or as it’s called in Swedish- glögg. During the 1800s the Swedes also started to add cinnamon (or kanel as it’s called in Swedish) to vodka and aquavit and this is where the expression "bli på kanelen" ("be on the cinnamon") stems from which you say to people who’ve had a few too many drinks. Even in baking, cinnamon has been used since the 1600s and has since then become more and more common. The cinnamon bun, however, has only really been around since ca 1920. By then the First World War was over, and getting hold of goods and ingredients had become much easier. However, the bun did not begin to gain real popularity until the 1950s, when butter became a cheap product that regular people could afford. This is when the cinnamon bun started to really kick off in popularity and if you think about it, today the cinnamon bun is one of the most Swedish things there is.

Swedes love their cinnamon buns so much that there now is an official day for the cinnamon bun. Kanelbullens dag has been celebrated on October 4 since 1999 in Sweden and millions of cinnamon buns are sold on this day. Cinnamon buns can be found all over the world but Swedish cinnamon buns are a bit different from the rest of them. 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 buns are baked in the oven for just a few minutes at very high temperature which makes them light and fluffy with a golden surface. They are also topped with “pearl sugar” instead of frosting or glaze which is popular in other countries. It’s the simplicity that makes them Swedish. Why complicate something when simple can be so delicious? We think the cinnamon bun is worthy of celebrations every day and you can always find the delicious buns in the Swedishness shop.