Finnish Cardamom-Coffee Bread (Nisu) Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between pulla and nisu? ›

Pulla is also common in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Northern Ontario, areas in the United States and Canada which have large Finnish populations. There it is also commonly known as nisu, an old Finnish word still in use with the same meaning in some dialects, despite originally simply meaning 'wheat'.

How do you eat Finnish bread? Finnish bread is incredibly versatile. It can be enjoyed at any meal, often served with butter, cheese, cold cuts, or paired with traditional toppings like pickles and salmon. Some Finns even incorporate it into sweet treats like cinnamon rolls.

Nisu is a traditional yeasted coffee bread of the Scandinavian countries, each country calling it something different. Originally, the Finnish called the bread Nisu and the name carried over with the Finnish Immigrants to the United States.

Cardamom buns, kardemummabullar in Swedish, have a long history in Sweden and are a popular pastry enjoyed throughout the country. The exact origin of cardamom buns in Sweden is unclear, but it is believed that they were introduced by German bakers who came to Sweden in the 17th century.

Limppu. Traditional Eastern Finnish rye bread is called limppu. The closest translation to English would be "loaf" (although limppu is always round and bulbous, while rectangular loaves are available). This bread is dark, sour in taste, dense, heavy and comparatively dry.

Pulla bread is traditionally served alongside coffee, usually amidst a selection of other pastries, but can very well hold its own. Ages ago, families would dedicated Sunday mornings to the baking of this staple. Today, feel free to whip up a batch of these slightly sweet, dense loaves at your whim!

Porridge: the cornerstone of the Finnish breakfast

Porridge has been a traditional Finnish breakfast for centuries. It's nutritious and easy to prepare, and its health benefits are undeniable. Oat porridge is a particular favourite among Finns as it is packed with fibre, protein and vitamins.

Traditional Finnish breakfast dishes

Breakfast is usually served at 7-8 am and consists of such satisfying meals as oat or rice porridge, rye bread with herb cheese and salt-cured salmon, eggs, traditional pastries and pies with fruit jam, and yogurt with freshly picked berries.

Mannapuuro. This creamy semolina porridge is a traditional Finnish dish that is usually consumed as a nutritious breakfast, a light snack, or a simple dessert. Prepared with semolina, milk, and just a pinch of salt, the key is to cook it slowly until it achieves the desired consistency.

Challah (/ˈxɑːlə/, Hebrew: חַלָּה ḥallā [χa'la] or Hallah [ħɑl'la]; plural: challot, Challoth or challos, also berches in Central Europe) is a special bread of Ashkenazi Jewish origin, usually braided and typically eaten on ceremonial occasions such as Shabbat and major Jewish holidays (other than Passover).

What is Israeli bread? ›

Pita bread has been a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine for thousands of years. This round, puffed up, fluffy bread is a ubiquitous component to falafel wraps and hummus plates, as well as many other Israeli favorites. Luckily, you can make your own fresh Israeli pita bread with this easy 5-ingredient recipe.

The Piccolo is made from dark wheat flour and has a strong aroma. We let this very soft dough stand for 48 hours, giving it a moist, large-pored crumb that makes the bread last longer.

In Scandinavian culture, cardamom often represents comfort and home and family and holiday treats–similar to how we in the U.S. view cinnamon, perhaps. (Of course, cinnamon is also of South Asian origin!)

Known as the Queen of Spices, green cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) originated in southern India's rain forests in a region now known as the Cardamom Hills. The perennial bush, a member of the ginger family, produces shoots at the plant's base that are picked when they're just ripening and then dried.

Introduced to Europe in the mid-16th century, cardamom bears a name that blends the Greek words for “spice” and “cress.” The name is sometimes mistakenly applied to similar spices in the ginger family, but it properly describes two related varieties of the spice, black and green, the latter being the more common.

The Portuguese bread rolls: Bola de água, papo seco & carcaça. You will see these types of bread everywhere. The fluffy buns are the most common types of bread, probably due to their practicality.

What is the origin of pulla? Pulla is a traditional Finnish sweet bread that originated in Finland. It is a popular baked treat that is often enjoyed with coffee or tea.

They sell it to small businesses and restaurants in the capital. Casabe, a flatbread made of yuca root, which is also called cassava, is one of Cuba's oldest Indigenous meals.

Shokupan translates to "eating bread" or "food bread" or "plain bread"; in Japan the style is considered the standard bread of the country, where it is a common breakfast meal or eaten as a snack. It is carried in many bakeries in Asian countries.