10B
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13, 2018
Lefse: the Norwegian original
Pete Gimre is stoked about making lefse, a
Norwegian delicacy.
Welcome to the
Festival
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When Norwegians say that lefse dates
back to the Viking days, some may ask: “How
can that be when the potato wasn’t introduced
to Norway until the 18th century?”
Maybe you’ve heard of potato lefse, but
have you heard of Hardanger lefse?
Not as well known to Scandinavian-Amer-
icans as potato lefse, Hardanger lefse has a
much longer history than potato lefse, dating
back to Viking days.
Hardanger lefse, the first lefse in Norway,
didn’t contain potatoes but was made from
flour. It was an important and reliable staple
in the Norwegian diet. If a harvest went bad
or there was a food shortage, there was usu-
ally some lefse left on the shelf. That, plus
stored lutefisk were sometimes the only thing
that kept people alive in harsh times.
Women would travel from house to house,
village to village to make lefse together to last
the winter months. The flour lefse would cook
up like a cracker and be able to last through-
out the season. Lefse was stored in wooden
boxes covered in cloth or just stacked on
shelves. When the lefse was used, it was
dipped in water and soaked between damp
cloths until softened. All through the Middle
Ages different types of flour and liquids were
used to make lefse.
With the introduction of potatoes in the
18th century, they were easy to grow and
became abundant. The potato was incorpo-
rated into many Norwegian foods, even lefse.
There was no way to properly store leftover
potatoes, and lefse was found to be a good
preservation method.
Like Ireland, Norway experienced a potato
famine in the mid-1800s, and this is about
the time that many Norwegians came to the
U.S. With them, they brought their knowl-
edge — and their rolling pins. The result has
been a Norwegian delicacy that’s become part
of a special tradition replicated in many Nor-
wegian-American homes for more than 150
years.
Sons of Norway Nidaros lodge has been
making Hardanger lefse for as many years
as anyone can remember for the Scandina-
vian Midsummer Festival here in Astoria. In
preparation, over a weekend’s work, lodge
members gather for lefse making with the
goal of making 2000 pieces.
The lefse will be softened and spread with
a combination of butter, cinnamon and sugar,
and it will be available for sale at the Sons of
Norway booth at the Midsummer Festival. It
has been a favorite of many festival attendees,
selling out quickly every year! From desper-
ation to delicacy, lefse remains an important
part of Norwegian tradition and culture.
—Sonja Madsen, Festival historian
The next generation of lefse makers
OLNEY GRANGE #793
POT ROAST DINNER
Enjoy a delicious start to the
Astoria Scandinavian Midsummer
Festival.
Olney Grange serves a pot roast
dinner Friday night in the Exhibit Hall
at the Clatsop County Fairgrounds.
The dinner menu includes pot roast,
baked potato, salad, green beans,
roll, pie and beverages.
The dinner runs 4:30 through 6:30
p.m. The cost is $14 for adults, $8 for
children 11 and under. Proceeds from
the meal go to grange hall improve-
ments, 4-H and other grange-spon-
sored events.
This is a wonderful opportunity to
enjoy a great meal, then attend the
coronation of Miss Scandinavia 2018
on the Arena stage at 7 p.m.
Stages of lefse