Kringle facts for kids
Kringle
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| Type | Pastry |
|---|---|
| Region or state | Scandinavia |
Kringle is a yummy pastry from Scandinavia. It's a Nordic type of pretzel. Long ago, in the 1200s, monks brought pretzels to Denmark. From there, the idea spread across Scandinavia. People started making many different kinds of kringles. Some were sweet, some were salty, and some had yummy fillings. But they all kept the special kringle shape!
The word 'kringle' comes from an old language called Old Norse. It means 'ring' or 'circle.' This makes sense because of its unique shape! In the Netherlands, a sweet kringle is known as a krakeling.
Contents
In Denmark, kringle usually means the pretzel-like knotted shape. It's not just one type of pastry. Kringler can be made from puff pastry or yeast dough. They are often filled with sweet things like marzipan or raisins. Sometimes they are topped with sugar or nuts.
There are many kinds of kringles in Scandinavia. Saltkringler are small and salty, like a Scandinavian pretzel. Kommenskringler are small breads shaped like kringles. They are made with unsweetened dough and spiced with caraway seeds. Sukkerkringler are similar but sweet, with sugar on top.
For birthday parties, people sometimes have Fødselsdagskringler. These are large, sweet bread pretzels. Smørkringler are large, sweet, and crusty. They used to be popular but are not as common today. Kringler have a long history in Denmark. They are still popular in bakeries there. Today, kringles usually have one crossing, not two, like the original pretzel shape.
Kringle in the United States
In the United States, kringles are often made by hand. They use a special Danish pastry dough. This dough rests overnight before it is shaped and baked. Many thin layers of dough are put together. Then, they are shaped into a large oval. After being filled with fruit, nuts, or other flavors, the pastry is baked and then iced.
Racine, Wisconsin is a famous place for Danish-American culture. It's well-known for making kringles. A typical Racine kringle is a big, flat oval. It's about 14 inches long and 10 inches wide. It usually weighs about 1.5 pounds. Kringle became the official state pastry of Wisconsin on June 30, 2013. A company in Wisconsin even makes a special kringle cream liqueur!
In other parts of the United States, kringle can also mean a sweet buttermilk cookie. This cookie is shaped like a pretzel or a figure eight. You can find kringles in many places across the U.S. These include Ballard in Seattle, Washington, and Solvang, California.
Kringle as a Symbol
Baker's guilds in Europe have used the kringle or pretzel as their symbol for hundreds of years. There's a story that during the siege of Vienna in 1529, local bakers were working at night. They supposedly warned the city's defenders about an enemy attack. Because of this, the Pope supposedly let them use a crown as part of their kringle guild symbol.
For reasons that are not fully known, the baker's guild in Denmark is special. It is the only one in the world allowed to show a royal crown as part of its trade symbol. You can often see this symbol hanging outside bakery shops in Denmark.
Images for kids
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The Vyborg Kringle (Viipurinrinkeli)
See also
In Spanish: Kringle para niños
