Description
The Skånsk Spettkaka PGI is a sweet made of fresh eggs, sugar and potato flour. These ingredients are mixed until a fluid mixture is obtained.
Production Area
The production area of the Skånsk Spettkaka PGI is located in the Scania county, one of the traditional Swedish provinces.
Production Method
The compound is placed in a pastry bag, poured on a spit-type rotating cone, and cooked at high temperatures. During the productive process no mechanical instrument is used at all, the preparation is purely manual. Once the processing is concluded, the product is covered in regular spaces with an icing of white and/or pink sugar, and the top part of the cake is covered with pointy white and/or pink decorations. The processing has a variable duration and depends on the size of the cake and the number of eggs used, because every cake layer has to be perfectly cooked before the next one can be placed on top.
Appearance and Flavour
The Skånsk Spettkaka PGI has a pyramidal shape that is more or less high, at times it can even reach one meter in height. The well-cooked product, extraordinarily crunchy, has a uniform light brown colour and is characterized by numerous irregular spikes, called thorns. This cake has a crisp consistency, yet at the same time it is compact and tasty, with a good aroma and a pleasant aftertaste.
History
The Skånsk Spettkaka PGI started to be produced in Sweden at the end of 17th century, but in that historical period, only the aristocrats had the possibility of enjoying this particular cake. It was only in the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century that the Skånsk Spettkaka PGI started to spread amongst the common people. From then on, in the villages of Scania there was often a baker to which one could bring the eggs, with which the baker would then prepare the cake for a wedding, a baptism or other important occasions.
Gastronomy
The Skånsk Spettkaka PGI should be kept in a cool and dry place that is free of scents; it has good storability and can thus be preserved for long. The Skånsk Spettkaka PGI is consumed fresh as dessert.
Marketing
The product is sold as Skånsk Spettkaka PGI. It is marketed whole or in suitably packaged pieces.
Distinctive Features
The reason why the Skånsk Spettkaka PGI is traditionally produced only in Scania is due to the availability of the main ingredients, which are the eggs, the beet sugar and the potatoes abounding in this rich, prosperous and densely populated agricultural area. This product has always been much appreciated and is served on every occasion, from festive lunches to funerals, for which it is decorated with a black veil.
