A cinnamon roll (also known as cinnamon bun, cinnamon swirl, cinnamon Danish and cinnamon snail) is a

sweet roll A sweet roll or sweet bun refers to any of a number of sweet, baked, yeast-leavened breakfast or dessert foods. They may contain spices, nuts, candied fruits, etc., and are often glazed or topped with icing. Compared to regular bread dough, ...

commonly served in

Northern Europe The northern region of Europe has several definitions. A restrictive definition may describe Northern Europe as being roughly north of the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, which is about 54th parallel north, 54°N, or may be based on other g ...

(mainly in

Nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...

, but also in Austria and Germany) and

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

. In

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

it is called ''kanelbulle'', in Denmark it is known as ''kanelsnegl'', in Norway it is known as ''kanelbolle'', ''skillingsbolle'' or ''kanelsnurr'', in Finland it is known as ''korvapuusti'', in Iceland it is known as ''kanilsnúður'', and in Estonia it is known as ''kaneelirull''. In Austria and Germany 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, breakfa ...

and

sugar Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...

mixture (and raisins or other ingredients in some cases) is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions and baked. The deep fried version is cinnamon roll or cinnamon bun

doughnut 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 franc ...

. 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 culture ...

, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavor. Cinnamonrollcutting

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, 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 Gothenburg (; abbreviated Gbg; sv, Göteborg ) is the second-largest city in Sweden, fifth-largest in the Nordic countries, and capital of the Västra Götaland County. It is situated by the Kattegat, on the west coast of Sweden, and has ...

, 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 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. There are also regional combinations: in the American

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

, especially Kansas, 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

, 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

References