Aland pancake. Aland is a group of islands in the Baltic between Sweden and Finland where Swedish is spoken. This pancake is made with milk, rice or semolina and eggs, flavoured with vanilla and cardamom and baked in the oven. Usually served as a dessert.
Thyme. Aarno Palotie has let me know that this term, the original Finnish, is rarely used and that 'timjami' is much more commonly used.
Akvaviitti means "water of life." Eau-de-vie. Broadly applied to all the principal indigenous spirits of the Scandinavian countries. This is a colourless, grain or potato based spirit. The best known brand in the world is Danish, but it is produced throughout Scandinavia. It is flavoured with cumin and aniseed, caraway seeds or fennel. It should be served really very cold and is often drunk with beer before or after a meal. It is also drunk during a meal, particularly an open sandwich meal which includes pickled herrings – traditionally a shot of aquavit with each different type – or when a particular mature cheese, gammel ole, is offered.
Alexander's tarts, named after Czar Alexander II. These are jam (US: jelly) tarts made with raspberry jam (US: jelly) sandwiched between two rectangles of pastry and decorated with light pink icing.
