Semla fever How buns went from spring treat to TikTok hit

The earliest version of the Swedish semla was a 16thcentury plain bread bun served in a soup of warm milk eaten only on Shrove Tuesday in preparation for the 40-day fast of Lent.

- Miranda Bryant

It is a far cry from this year's hit varieties, which include Dubai chocolate (the chocolate bar with a knafeh and pistachio filling that became a TikTok trend) and chokladboll (based on a Scandinavian oat, cocoa and butter ball-a popular fika or coffee time item).

Social media has turbocharged the popularity of the traditional buns but also transformed them almost beyond recognition.

The whipped cream-filled, almond paste-stuffed Instagram-friendly semlor that fill the windows of Sweden's bakeries and patisseries in the run-up to Lent this year are more of a celebration of decadent eating than fasting.

They have an entire season dedicated to them approximately between January and March - and their popularity and variations keep growing.

Milda Doumit, who runs Lindquists Konditori in Stockholm with her husband, Bassel, said: "The semla has evolved from a traditional Swedish bun to a modern pastry that is constantly being renewed and adapted to today's tastes and demands."