Mämmi (memma in Swedish) is a malt porridge which is baked in an oven. It is made of water, syrup and sweetened rye malt and is dark brown in appearance.
Spices such as pomerind and orange rind are often added. After the exposure to heat and an extended period of storage, small quantities of generated alcohol often result within the puddinglike condiment. This is not considered a fault.
Mämmi is consumed either bare or with added sugar and/or milk.
Its precursors can be traced all the way to medieval Germany. But as its use spread with Catholicism to the far northern reaches, the food fell gradually into disuse there, so that it remains as a relic only in Finland.
Mämmi was mentioned the first time during the 17th century, in the Finnish dissertation of the Latin language. As the result of domestic product development mämmi has graced the Finnish dinner table for at least 300 years.
Originally Mämmi was consumed during the whole lent period. Its laxative properties doubtless helped the purging of "poisons". Later it was a convenient food for Good Friday, when firing up the stove was against custom. In modern times it is purely a traditional seasonal delicacy.
Interest in it has risen even in nonscandinavian settings, due to Finns' eager attempts to offer the idiosyncratic foodstuff to foreigners. Some have served it as an exotic specialty; others, a a joky test (due to its superficially unappetizing appearance). The growing interrest in reviving old recipes and the general enthusiasm for past ages may also play a part in this.
There is also a New Year dessert in Iran like mämmi.