Lefse: A Norwegian Christmas Tradition

In my home, lefse making signals the beginning of Christmas. As soon as my dad would announce it was time to make it, we knew the holiday season had begun!

For those non-Norwegians, lefse is an ultra-thin, tortilla-like potato flatbread. The dough is made from mashed potatoes, cream, butter and flour and is rolled thin with a special grooved rolling pin. Once rolled out, it is placed on a special round griddle to bake at a very high heat. Many Norwegians use lefse much like a tortilla, to hold other food items like fish. Others use it as a sweet treat by sprinkling cinnamon and sugar on it. But for our family, we simply warm it and smear it with a little butter.

No cookie baking or tree cutting symbolizes Christmas spirit more than lefse making to me. Our family has held this tradition for many generations. My great-grandmother brought the tradition from Norway and was a one-woman force in her preparation. In fact, she would make enough lefse during the holidays to supply not only her family but the neighbors as well. It was a great side business as many transplanted Norwegians didn't have the time or skill to prepare it. She passed on the tradition to her daughter-in-law (my grandmother) and grandsons (my dad and his brothers.) Lefse is a staple side item on our holiday tables and much of the conversation revolves on the making of that particular batch.

Not only is lefse making a special time because of Christmas, but also because it was a chance to spend a few hours working and talking with my family. Lefse making is a long, involved process of kneading dough, shaping rolls, rolling out, baking, and storing. So we would set aside one whole evening to make it. My mom, who usually prepared the dough in advance, would opt to take photos and enjoy the break from the kitchen. Dad, who had learned the art of lefse making from the master, took over the kitchen and assigned my brother, sister and I our tasks. He would roll out the lefse then hand it off to me. As the oldest child, I was the "flipper." My job was to flip the lefse on the griddle to insure both sides were cooked. My sister, Alison, was the "duster" and "folder." She would take the hot lefse from me and dust off the excess flour then carefully fold it into fourths and place it between the wax paper lined towels to cool properly. My brother, Andrew, was the "butterer." He was in charge of feeding us. Andrew would take the slightly cooled lefse, butter it and roll it up. Nothing tastes better than fresh, hot lefse!

Many of my fondest Christmas memories stem from those hot hours in the kitchen. Even now that we're grown and have our own homes, we still convince my dad to let us help make lefse once we're all gathered for the holidays. My daughter who is only three years old has been in on the lefse making since she was born. Her favorite job is helping her "Papa" kneading the floury dough. What was once just a Norwegian food item became a beloved family tradition.

God jul og godt nytt år!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!