What does the Norwegian word krumkake mean?

The Norwegian word krumkake means “curved cake.”

The name describes both the cookie’s shape and its traditional preparation. Krumkake is a thin Norwegian wafer baked in a decorative, two-sided iron similar to a waffle iron. While it is still hot and flexible, it is rolled around a cone-shaped form, creating the curved or cone-like shape suggested by the name.

Krumkake is made from a mixture commonly including flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and cream. The finished biscuits are often eaten plain, but they may also be filled with whipped cream, including the Norwegian cloudberry-and-cream mixture known as multekrem. The cookies are especially associated with Christmas baking in Norway.

The singular is krumkake, while krumkaker is the plural. Norwegian immigrants also carried the tradition to New England and the American Midwest, where similar cookies may appear at holiday gatherings. It is easy to confuse krumkake with pizzelle or cannoli, but those are related-looking foods from different culinary traditions; the Norwegian name itself specifically points to a curved cake.