Smultring (plural: smultringer) and hjortetakk (sometimes spelled hjortebakkels) are
cake donuts from
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 ...
. They are small and usually prepared without glazing or filling, and are often spiced with
cardamom
Cardamom (), sometimes cardamon or cardamum, is a spice made from the seeds of several plants in the genera ''Elettaria'' and ''Amomum'' in the family Zingiberaceae. Both genera are native to the Indian subcontinent and Indonesia. They are rec ...
,
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, breakfa ...
,
lemon
The lemon (''Citrus limon'') is a species of small evergreen trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, native to Asia, primarily Northeast India (Assam), Northern Myanmar or China.
The tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit is used for culin ...
or
orange zest
Zest is a food ingredient that is prepared by scraping or cutting from the rind of unwaxed citrus fruits such as lemon, orange, citron, and lime. Zest is used to add flavor to foods.
In terms of fruit anatomy, the zest is obtained from the fl ...
, as well as various
liqueurs
Liqueurs are alcoholic beverages that are bottled with added sugar and have added flavours that are usually derived from fruits, herbs, or nuts. Liqueurs are distinct from eaux-de-vie, fruit brandy, and flavored liquors, which contain no adde ...
.
Overview
![Smultring vendor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Smultring_vendor.jpg)
Smultringer are
torus
In geometry, a torus (plural tori, colloquially donut or doughnut) is a surface of revolution generated by revolving a circle in three-dimensional space about an axis that is coplanar with the circle.
If the axis of revolution does not tou ...
-shaped and sold from trucks and, at Christmas time, from stalls. They are described as being "thick, heavy dough fried in lard that are best eaten while hot and with the grease still dripping". Smultringer are popular with expatriate Norwegians, including those in
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
who serve them with
krumkake
(, meaning 'curved cake'; plural ) is a Norwegian waffle cookie made of flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream.
A special decorative two-sided iron griddle similar to a waffle iron is traditionally used to bake the thin round cakes, similar to ...
and
riskrem (rice whipped cream), and
fattigmann at Christmas dinners.
Hjortebakkels are made from rolls of dough looped with the ends overlapping.
Brandy
Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
is often used as an ingredient. The Norwegian name comes from the fact that
hartshorn
Hartshorn is the antler of male red deer.
Derivatives
Various nitrogen compounds were made from hartshorn shavings:
* Oil of hartshorn is a crude chemical product obtained from the destructive distillation of deer antlers.
* Salt of hartshorn r ...
was traditionally used as a
raising agent
In cooking, a leavening agent () or raising agent, also called a leaven () or leavener, is any one of a number of substances used in doughs and batters that cause a foaming action (gas bubbles) that lightens and softens the mixture. An alterna ...
.
See also
*
List of Norwegian desserts
This is a list of Norwegian sweets and desserts. The cuisine of Norway refers to food preparation originating from Norway or having a played a great historic part in Norwegian cuisine. Norway also shares many dishes and influences with surrounding ...
*
List of doughnut varieties
Doughnuts are a type of fried dough food. The following is a list of doughnut varieties.
Variations and specialties by region
The terms below constitute either names for different doughnut types created using local recipes, or for the local la ...
*
List of fried dough foods
This is a list of fried dough foods. Many cultures have dishes that are prepared by deep frying dough in many various forms. Doughnuts are a type of fried dough food that are covered separately in the Wikipedia article List of doughnut varieties.
...
*
Gløgg
References
External links
Photo of a smulring truckSmultring{{Doughnuts
Christmas food
Doughnuts
Cuisine of Minnesota
Norwegian cuisine