October 4 is Kanelbullens Dag in Sweden – the day when the whole country seems to smell of cinnamon. Cafés are crowded, bakeries are working at full speed, and everyone makes time for at least one bun, preferably still warm from the oven.
Walking through Stockholm’s autumn streets on this day feels like stepping into a cinnamon-scented cloud. Golden leaves crunch under your shoes, and behind café windows you see families, students, and friends leaning in over steaming cups of coffee with sticky fingers and satisfied smiles.
We can’t help but remember our very first kanelbulle at Bageri Petrus on Swedenborgsgatan in Södermalm. That little bakery became our sweet refuge on many chilly mornings, and even though it has since closed, we’ve happily conformed with Lillebror Bageri in Vasastan, which now fills the gap with its own irresistible buns. Because let’s be honest — life without a good kanelbulle in Stockholm is simply unthinkable.
Fika vs. Merenda
Sweden has fika, the ritual of slowing down with coffee and something sweet. It’s not just a break; it’s a cultural glue, a way to connect.
Italy has merenda, the afternoon snack. More often, it’s something for kids at home — a slice of cake, bread with Nutella, or fruit to keep them going between lunch and dinner. For adults, the closest social equivalent would be the aperitivo, that beloved early evening tradition of gathering with friends over a drink and small bites before dinner.
Different traditions, same soul: a moment to pause, share, and enjoy the comfort of food.
The Playful Twist
But what if Sweden had invented lasagna instead of Italy?
Would we be layering pasta sheets with cinnamon, sugar, and cardamom-spiced béchamel?
At first thought, it sounds absurd. A “cinnamon lasagna”? Naaaaa… but then again, why not? Cinnamon is not a stranger to Italian cooking. In fact, in older recipes for ragù, a touch of cinnamon was sometimes added for depth and warmth. So maybe the idea of a lasagna with a whisper of cinnamon isn’t that far-fetched after all.
Still, Italy has already given the world its desserts: tiramisu, cannoli, ricotta-filled pastries. Perhaps it’s better to let lasagna stay savory and let Sweden keep the cinnamon crown.
Lasagnariet Experiments
At Lasagnariet, we do love to experiment. And even when we stay close to tradition, we enjoy giving it a twist. Could cinnamon find its way into one of our sweet experiments, like a dessert cannellone with ricotta and cocoa? Maybe. But the truth is, for us, Kanelbullens Dag is not about changing lasagna into something it’s not.
It’s about celebrating the simple fact that both lasagna and cinnamon buns share the same spirit: they are warm, layered, comforting, and always best when shared.
A Layered Message
Both cinnamon buns and lasagna are more than just food. They are rituals of comfort. One comes with coffee, the other with wine. One is born from Swedish ovens, the other from Italian kitchens. But both remind us to slow down, to savor, to enjoy the layers of life.
So on October 4, you’ll find us in the kitchen early, with a lasagna baking in the oven while sipping a cappuccino and eating a cinnamon bun. Because sometimes tradition is best enjoyed side by side, not in competition.
“Life is made of layers — sometimes pasta, sometimes cinnamon.”
