Chokladboll
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Chokladboll ("chocolate ball") is a popular Swedish pastry.
The chokladboll is usually slightly larger than a meatball. Because of its simple recipe, it can be quickly made by anyone and is popular at children's parties and as homemade candy. The recipe consists of oatmeal, sugar, coffee, cocoa, butter, and sometimes a pinch of vanilla sugar, which is mixed into a compact mass and then rolled in nib sugar, shredded coconut, or sprinkles. It can be eaten immediately but is usually first placed in the refrigerator for about an hour or in the freezer for those who prefer an even harder variety.
[edit] Name
The traditional name for the pastry is negerboll ("negro ball"), but due to its arguably offensive character, the name has fallen out of favor in for example cooking books. It's still in use in less formal circumstances though, and whether or not the word negerboll should be used has been a subject of debate in news papers and Internet blogs. The word neger was considered neutral a few decades ago but has become controversial and nowadays it's recommended to use other words if you have to describe someone's skin-color. (This could be compared to the English equivalent negro.) Since the word neger is no longer considered a neutral word many people feel that the word negerboll isn't appropriate. The most common alternative is "chokladboll", although it could be considered misleading because the pastry does not contain any chocolate (though it does contain cocoa). Some people choose to call the version with shredded coconut on it kokosboll ("coconut ball"), which is even more misleading since that is already the name of a completely different gelatin-based pastry and also because not all chocolate balls contain coconut, as nib sugar is often used instead of coconut. A popular producer of the pastry, Delicato, have chosen to call it "Delicatoboll".
In 2003, a bakery owner from Sjöbo was reported to the Swedish Ombudsman against Ethnic Discrimination for using the word "negerbollar" on a sign in her bakery shop. However, the case was dismissed since the woman reporting it did not consider herself personally insulted.
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