the world of cinnamon rolls

A cinnamon roll consists of a rolled sheet of yeast-leavened dough onto which a cinnamon and sugar mixture (and brown sugar, raisins or other ingredients in some cases) is sprinkled over a thin coat of butter. The dough is then rolled, cut into individual portions and baked. The deep fried version is cinnamon roll or cinnamon bun doughnut. Its main ingredients are flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter, which provide a robust and sweet flavor. 

A German variety, which closely follows the form of the Scandinavian pastry, originating in Hamburg and its surroundings is the Franzbrötchen, a cinnamon pastry inspired by the non-cinnamon French croissant. 

In Sweden and Finland, cinnamon rolls are traditionally enjoyed during a fika, which is a get-together, including the consumption of coffee and or baked goods. A fika is typically had in the afternoon, by coworkers during a break, by friends or by family. National Cinnamon Bun Day (Kanelbullens dag) is observed on October 4 in Sweden and Finland.

In Denmark, cinnamon buns are especially popular on Wednesdays, where an extra large variant called the Wednesday snail is sold. This tradition was specially invented during the 1990s where the national football team usually played their games on Wednesdays.

In North America, it is commonly eaten for breakfast or dessert. When eaten for breakfast in the U.S., it may be served with cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon buns are particularly popular during the Christmas season in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic. They form part of the traditional Christmas baking repertoire in many households, alongside other festive treats like vanilla crescents (vanilkové rožteky) and linzer cookies.

Cream cheese frosting is thicker and creamier than sugar glaze, which is thinner and more fluid. 

Cinnamon is the inner bark of a tropical evergreen native to Sri Lanka. It's harvested during monsoon season when the bark is soft, then prepared either as small "quills" or ground into a powder.

It is, perhaps, the spice that single-handedly launched a thousand ships and put the Age of Exploration into motion, as explorers and spice traders began to sail around the world is search of this precious commodity. Having been introduced to Europeans by Marco Polo in the 13th Century, cinnamon quickly became the go-to spice for wealthy landowners aiming to impress. (Until this point, and throughout most of the Roman Empire, pepper had been the preferred seasoning for both sweet and savory dishes.)

Ceylon cinnamon—also known as "true" cinnamon—is the premier cinnamon in the world, though the majority of cinnamon used in western food preparations is the harsher, less full-bodied cassia cinnamon.

Each European country seems to have its own special spin on the cinnamon roll, with Swedes adding cardamom and pearl sugar to their version while Finland's variety, the mammoth korvapuusti, measures up to 8 inches in diameter. 

In the United States, the cinnamon roll has taken on several variations, including the coffee scroll in the Northeast and the honey bun in the Southeast. The coffee scroll is topped with a fondant glaze lightly flavored with coffee—just in case your morning breakfast needs some extra added caffeine. The North Carolina-created honey bun, which has become more of a vending machine favorite than a bakery delicacy, is a fried yeast pastry with a swirl of cinnamon then covered in a honey syrup.