Limpa

Limpa bread

Vörtbröd in a basket.
Alternative names	Vörtlimpa, vörtbröd
Type	Rye bread
Region or state	Scandinavia
Main ingredients	Rye flour, molasses, butter, brown sugar, yeast, wort
Variations	Caraway, fennel, anise, orange peel, beer, raisins, prunes

Limpa (Swedish for "loaf") is a sweet Scandinavian rye bread, associated with Swedish cuisine.^[1] The bread is known in Swedish as vörtbröd/vörtlimpa ("wort bread/loaf"). It is a yeast-leavened spice loaf, sweetened with brown sugar and molasses which comes in a large variety in regard to whether or not butter-enriched, and which spices are being used. Traditional bread spices are anise, caraway, fennel seeds, and bitter orange.

Typically baked during the Christmas season, the festive wort breads/loaves (Swedish: vörtbröd / vörtlimpa) are flavoured with spices like anise, caraway, and fennel seeds, and often orange rinds, raisins or sultanas, and dark beer, in addition to the wort. Its distinct taste and look is in large part due to the addition of wort to the dough, making it similar to a malt loaf.^[2][3] It is a typical dish for a traditional Christmas Eve smörgåsbord or julbord.^[4] Limpa bread pairs well with jams and jellies, or cream cheese.^[5]