You can’t come to Roseau without trying lefse. Lefse (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈlɛ̂fsə]) is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread It is of made with potatoes, flour, butter, and milk, cream, or lard.
For the sake of comparison; it is a large thin potato pancake served buttered and folded.
In Roseau, the most quintessential way to eat lefse is to spread it with sweet butter, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and then roll it up.
Lefse is popular in most Scandanvian countries. Colorful stories carry it back to the time of the Vikings, but history shows potatoes first appearing in Norway some 250 years ago. Most historians agree that potatoes first arrived in Norway sometime in the 1750s, likely brought back home by traveling priests and soldiers. On the traditional Norwegian homestead, enough lefse would be made at one time to last for up to a year.
In Roseau, lefse is a staple side dish served around special occasions. Learning to make lefse is a skill best taught by the oldest Scandanvian cook in the kitchen. Rolling the sticky yet delicate dough until it is thin like a tortilla takes talent and the right kitchen tools. A grooved rolling pin, cotton flour sack rolling board, a wooden flipping stick and Bethany griddle are almost a must have.
Where do you get your hands on the best lefse in Roseau?
The grocery store sells lefse year around but the best lefse can be found at the Farmers Market and the Four Season’s Senior Center.
The Senior Center sells lefse around hunting season and family gathering holidays. Most of the time you buy lefse by the round? This is not like buying a round at the local bar. A round of lefse refers to the circular shape of each piece. It’s common to buy it in 5 round packages.
Roseau Lefse Recipe
- 6 Cups of russet potatoes, mashed/riced 2 T. Sugar 2tsp, salt
- 2 Cups Unbleached Flour 1⁄2 Cup half & half 1 stick of butter
Cook a kettle of potatoes with salt. Mash or rice while hot and mix in butter, half & half and sugar. Cool overnight or a minimum of 4 hours. Mix with two cups of flour and roll out thin. Bake on a lefse griddle, flip once. Keep covered with a towel on a cooling rack.
Now that you have the lefse, slather a generous amount of butter on the round and sprinkle it with sugar. This simple potato style pancake may now just become a favorite of yours as well. As the old Scandanvian saying goes, lefse is a simple joy that brings happiness to those who eat it and to those who make it.
