Lefse

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A piece of lefse topped with rakfisk and other foods

Lefse is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread made out of potato, milk or cream and flour, and cooked on a griddle. Special tools are available for lefse baking, including long wooden turning sticks and special rolling pins with deep grooves. There are significant regional variations in the way lefse is made and eaten, but it generally resembles a tortilla. Although, in many parts of Norway, especially Valdres, it is far thinner. In some parts of the United States (such as Minnesota), lefse is available in grocery stores, just like tortillas; one Minnesota tortilla factory makes a run of lefse once a month on its tortilla equipment.

In central Norway, a variation called tynnlefse (thin lefse) is made, which is rolled up with butter, sugar and cinnamon (or with butter and brown sugar), and eaten as a cake.

Tjukklefse or tykklefse (thick lefse) is thicker, and often served with coffee as a cake.

Potetlefse (potato lefse) is often used in place of a hot-dog bun and can be used to roll up sausages. This delight is also known as pølse med lompe in Norway, lompe being the "smaller-cousin" of the potato lefse.

Lingonberries are a common addition to buttered lefse hot off the griddle.

There are many ways of spicing lefse up. The most common is adding butter and sugar to the lefse and rolling it up. In Norwegian, this is known as "lefse-klining". Other tasty ways to eat it include adding cinnamon, or spreading jelly or lingonberries upon it. Scandinavian-American variations include rolling it with a thin layer of peanut butter and sugar, with butter and sugar, with butter and corn syrup, or with ham and eggs. Also quite good with beef, and other savory items, it is comparable to a thin tortilla. And, of course, it is great to put lutefisk in.

Many Scandinavian-Americans eat lefse primarily around Thanksgiving and Christmas, along with other Scandinavian delights such as lutefisk.

The town of Starbuck, MN, is the home of the world's largest lefse.