Friday, October 4, 2013

Cinnamon bun day and the powerful Swedish baking lobby


Today is Cinnamon bun day, a day when Swedes get together and eat �lagom*� big cinnamon rolls without cream cheese frosting to celebrate this fabulous bun that takes up so much space at many a �fika*�.

But is there a dark side to this wonderful tradition?

Why exactly do we celebrate the cinnamon roll on this day, of all days? What is it about October 4th that says �let them eat cake? Or buns?�

Well, it seems there is a terribly powerful lobby group in Sweden known as the Home Baking Advisory Board (my own translation of Hembakningsr�det), oh and guess who this innocently named group is actually owned by? Yes, that is right, Big Sugar.

The brains behind Cinnamon Roll day is Big Sugar � or some Swedish sugar company or other.

What does this all mean? Why are Swedes so much more welcoming of a new tradition sponsored by a sugar company, then say, celebrating Halloween? (Oh, I know, no one goes begging for cinnamon rolls, but we are pressured to make or buy them today)

At the end of the day, I am more supportive of Big Sugar, then say, Big Guns, but only to a degree. When you pay for everyone�s health care universally, you don�t want Big Sugar to get too big.

And it seems like every major food group is getting a day or two, and that could get pretty expensive, calorie and wallet wise. Here are just a few:

January 1st � International pizza day (OK this makes sense as big hangover day). If you don�t eat cheese, check out January 29th� Vegan pizza day. I�m sure there will be a gluten free pizza day next year!

March 9 � tomato sauce day

April 9th � Gin and Tonic day (I�m there!)

May 24 � Cheese day (I did not know this, I will never miss it again)

June 6 � Fresh potato day (well timed with Swedish national day)

*Just in case you missed it:

lagom means, approximately, 'just right' ala goldilocks and the three bears
Fika is a traditional Swedish coffee break

No comments:

Post a Comment