Åland pancake is traditionally flavored with what spice?

Åland pancake is traditionally flavored with cardamom.

This thick, oven-baked pancake comes from the Åland Islands, an autonomous, Swedish-speaking region of Finland in the Baltic Sea. It is commonly made with semolina porridge or rice porridge, along with eggs, milk, flour, sugar, and salt. The porridge base reflects the dish’s practical origin as a way to use leftovers from breakfast.

Cardamom gives the pancake its characteristic warm, aromatic flavor. It is usually served with prune jam or prune custard and whipped cream, known locally as snömos, or “snow mash.” A frequent mix-up is saffron: saffron is strongly associated with the similar Gotland pancake from Sweden, while cardamom is the traditional signature of Åland pancake. The dish is especially associated with Åland’s Autonomy Day on June 9.