Lefse and tapping into my roots

My mom and I went out this last Saturday morning to Sons of Norway Bothell lodge to make the traditional Norwegian flat bread made of potatoes, butter, sugar, salt and flour known as Lefse.

This two dollar class gave me great insight into how much hard work my Norwegian ancestry put forth just to make a meal. Lefse, though it may look simple, actually takes two days to make. There's quite a bit of prep work involved with those spuds prior to mashing them up with the butter and sugar. I'd never in my life heard of 'ricing potatoes.' Now I know what it means and that there is such a thing as a 'ricer'. If you imagine a massive garlic press with holes on all sides, well that's what a ricer is. You're basically taking the cooked (and peeled) potatoes and sending them through a sieve so that they come out like little potato noodles.

They don't stay in that shape though, oh no they most certainly don't. They're mashed with the butter and sugar and everything else. But Norwegians are detailed people and they're all about quality. No lumps aloud in the lefse!

So here's my mom and I rolling out and frying our lefse.

(that stick I'm holding is a lefse stick and is used to flip the lefse)

And here is a lefse

Lefse are traditionally eaten with butter and cinnamon and sugar on them and accompanied with a cup of coffee. In certain parts of Norway they also use lefse as sort of a hot dog bun. They'll wrap it around sausage and eat it that way. It was really fun to be able to go and get some cultural enrichment in a tasty way!

Tusen takk to Bothell lodge for having the class.