Laufabrauð (ˈløːivaprøiθ, leaf bread) is a traditional kind of Icelandic bread that is most often eaten in the Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 season. Originating from northern Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

but now eaten throughout the entire country, it consists of round, very thin flat cakes with a diameter of about 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches), decorated with leaf-like, geometric patterns and fried briefly in hot fat.

Laufabrauð can be bought in bakeries or made at home, either with ready-made dough or from scratch; patterns are either cut by hand or created using a heavy brass roller, the laufabrauðsjárn ("leaf bread iron"). Leaf bread making at home is usually a family undertaking and often an essential part of the Christmas preparations, where several generations gather and take part in the decorating.

External links

• Slideshow showing how laufabrauð is prepared