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.

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.

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.

Lussekatter signify that Christmas is just around the corner and are some of the most fun pastries to make. Children and grown ups both love these fluffy, gorgeously yellow yeasty buns that have a slight sweetness, yet a nice savory character from the saffron.

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.

It is also used a lot in medicine. But saffron is also very expensive. It can cost $5,000 per pound. That is more expensive than gold.

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.

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.

Why is cinnamon popular 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.

Serve warm with butter or clotted cream, or allow to cool and serve halved and toasted with butter.

Cuccìa, the dessert of Saint Lucia

One of the most famous desserts, whose paternity has always been disputed between Palermo and Syracuse, cuccìa is a spoon dessert made with ricotta cheese, boiled wheat, candied fruit and chocolate drops.

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.

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.