Swedish Bread and Childhood Memories

Before break­fast today I assem­bled the ingre­di­ents for limpa, a spicy rye bread that epit­o­mizes Swedish arti­sanal bread. The sharp fra­grance that emerged from the mor­tar as I crushed the fen­nel seeds and aniseed brought me back to child­hood mem­o­ries.

My Swedish grand­mother served limpa for cer­e­mo­nial fam­ily din­ners and spe­cial occa­sions. Limpa is a dense rye bread, enlivened by pun­gent seeds, and sweet­ened with molasses and brown sugar to off­set the bit­ter­ness of the orange peel.

It’s been years since I last tasted limpa. Some­how the fra­grance of the crushed seeds and the orange peel put me in a vir­tual time cap­sule, trans­port­ing me back to my grandmother’s kitchen, and the teas­ing and sto­ry­telling that enlivened our fam­ily gath­er­ings there.

Now the bread is ris­ing, aro­mas waft­ing through­out our home. I won­der what else will come to mind when my hus­band and I enjoy our first taste of limpa later today. What sto­ries will we tell each other over lunch? It’s a nice thought to look for­ward to.