norwegian food

  • Bergen, Foodies Guide

    Bergen Restaurant Guide

    Bergen Restaurant Guide

    Bergen has a huge number of restaurants with many different cuisines, and it can be a little daunting to try and figure out where to eat. If your goal is to try traditional Norwegian food, it can be tricky trying to figure out what ‘pinnekjøtt’ or ‘prinsefisk’ is.
    I’m not a huge fan of reviewing restaurants, firstly because it is completely subjective and secondly it’s because there are already plenty of reviews online. When I started building “I Love Bergen”, I didn’t want to tell people what’s good or bad; I wanted to put together a travel guide so people could make up their own mind. So, for this restaurant guide I’ve categorised restaurants by cuisine – whether you be looking for traditional Norwegian food, Japanese, vegetarian, cheap eats, etc. I’ve also included my experiences at the restaurant. This list is forever growing, so it’s best to bookmark it and check just before you come.
    For convenience, I’ve only included restaurants in the inner city centre.

    In this article...

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide

    Norwegian Food

    Norwegian food is a surprisingly big term; it means seafood, locally sourced food, food from the farms, and traditional food.

    Bare

    Tasting Menu / 1450 NOK pp ($)
    Torgallmenningen 2

    Links

    Bare is located within the Bergen Børs Hotel and received a Michelin Star in 2020 for its use of organise local produce. The menu changes according to the season, and you can view the current menu online. It’s typically a mix of seafood and meat dishes from Western Norway. Reservations are necessary.

    Bjerck

    Lunch $ / Dinner $
    Torgallmenningen 1A

    Links

    Bjerck is a new restaurant in Bergen with a mostly Norwegian menu, though there are some international dishes as well. They have an international lunch menu (chicken salad, summer salad, fish and chips, shrimps, burgers) and a more Norwegian dinner menu (prinsefisk, chicken breast, entrecote, burgers). 

    Bryggeloftet & Stuene

    $ (Mains 275-380 NOK)
    Bryggen 11

    Links

    Whenever someone visits me in Bergen, this is where I take them. It has a good overview of traditional Norwegian food, and that makes it a safe bet for anyone looking to discover Norwegian flavours. Menu includes Bergen fish soup, scallops, kveite, mountain trout, wolffish, bacalao, beef, reindeer, lamb, and deer. The menu is seasonal, so it does change. There’s a vegan bacalao and vegan burger as well. 

    Bryggen Tracteursted

    Tapas $ / Mains $
    Bryggestredet

    Links

    Bryggen Tracteursted is located inside the old schøtstuene, or kitchen and assembly room, for the Hanseatics, so you get an authentic 18th century experience here. The menu is traditional Norwegian. The tapas include an extensive list of Norwegian seafood (halibut, sardines, salmon, etc) and meat (lamb, whale, reindeer, etc). The a la carte menu has prinsefisk, plukkfisk, fried trout, reindeer and beef

    Cornelius

    Tasting Menu / 1145 NOK pp (includes boat transfer) ($)
    Vestrepollsveien 109

    Links

    Cornelius is a full seafood experience. You take a boat from near Bryggen at 6pm, ride 25 minutes to the restaurant, and then take the boat back at 10:30pm. When there, you get a set five-course menu. This restaurant is quite popular with visitors, and I can see why! The menu is inspired by the weather of that particular day, and the items change daily depending on the raw materials. It usually consists of shellfish for an appetiser, fish for the main course, and then a dessert. 

    Enhjørningen

    A la carte $ (350+ NOK for a main course)
    Enhjørningsgården 29

    Links

    Enhjørningen (The Unicorn) is a seafood restaurant located on Bredsgården, the most authentic alley left at Bryggen. You can sit in the old Hanseatic buildings and eat traditional Norwegian seafood! Items include whale, clipfish, fish soup, mussels, reindeer steak, bacalao, and then Norwegian cheeses for dessert.

    Fjellskål

    A la carte $ (you can pay 100 NOK or 1500 NOK for a meal here!)
    Strandkaien 3
    Vegan Menu

    Links

    Fjellskål is located in the Bergen Fish Market (under the tourist information centre), and it has a great range of different types of seafood and meat dishes at varying prices, so it really is for everyone. The seafood is picked fresh from the market, so you can’t go wrong here. Just some of the items are fish soup, 4 types of caviar, various types of sashimi, shrimp, crab (various types), oysters, various types of fish including salmon and cod, whale, fish and chips, pasta, burgers. Vegan menu has the beyond burger and vegan pasta.

    Lysverket

    1, 2, 3 courses ($)
    Rasmus Meyers Alle 9 (entry through KODE 4)

    Links

    Lysverket was shortlisted on the Michelin Guide in 2020, and it is a restaurant I’ve heard often amongst visitors. It’s located near the art galleries on Byparken. The set menu includes scallops, turbot, cow, and dessert. Sturgeon caviar and Norwegian cheeses can be added to the menu. 

    Pingvinen

    $
    Vaskerelven 14

    Links

    Pingvinen is a local restaurant/pub known for its traditional meals and very laid back setting. Meals include meatballs, fish, stew, and four other dishes that change daily. If you visit around christmas, they serve traditional Christmas dishes. On Thursdays they serve raspeballer. 

    Restaurant Opus 16

    $-$ (245-495 NOK for mains)
    Vågsallmenningen 16

    Links

    Restaurant Opus 16 is located within the Opus XVI hotel, practically across the street from the fish market. Mains include cod, lamb, halibut, mussels and langoustines. This restaurant also a very popular afternoon tea on Saturdays from 12pm – 5pm.

    Restaurant 1877

    Tasting Menu / 725-845 NOK pp ($)
    Located inside the old meat market at Vetrlidsallmenningen 2

    Links

    Restaurant 1877 is located inside the old meat market near Bryggen (the triangular-roofed brick building). The menu is seasonal and locally sourced and typically includes seafood, meat, and dessert. 

    To Kokker

    Four, five, six course menu ($)
    Enhjørningsgården 29

    Links

    To Kokker is owned by the same group as Enhjørningen, so the menus are a little similar. The big difference is that To Kokker (the two chefs in English) is a set menu, whereas Enhjørningen is a la carte. Items on the menu include kveite, deer steak, and whale. 

    26 North

    Boards from the Fjords $ / Mains $-$
    Bryggen 47

    Links

    Located at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Bryggen, 26 North focuses on Nordic food traditions. They have ‘Boards from the Fjords’, which is an overview of different seasonal flavours from the nearby fjords. At the time of writing, this includes moose sliders, Nordic taco (with lefse), Arctic reindeer tartar or a mixing board. Mains include a burger, lamb, venison, steak, cod, Nordic pasta, and the catch of the day. 

    Japanese

    Japanese is very popular in Bergen, probably because of the fresh seafood we can take advantage of. A well-known fun fact is that the Norwegian invented salmon sushi, so why not try some here? Every time my husband and I plan to go out to dinner, he always insists on Japanese as the sushi tastes so fresh!

    Nama Japanese Fusion

    Tasting menu ($) or a la carte ($)
    Lodin Lepps gate 2B

    Links

    Nama was the first sushi restaurant to open up in Bergen, and the restaurant mixes Japanese recipes with local ingredients. Tasting menus are available, you can opt for the a la carte menu. Items include Wagyu steak, tempura, lobster, miso soup, tuna tartar, sea bass, black cod, chicken, king crab cake, monkfish, and an extensive sushi bar. The restaurant even has a sushi course! Takeaway is also available (see website for details). 

    Sumo

    $
    Neumanns Gate 25

    Links

    Sumo is our go-to sushi restaurant. The menu is Asian fusion and the sushi list is extensive and fresh. There are plenty of small dishes as well as poke bowls. Mains include red curry, pad thai, sticky pork, ushi burger, Chicken satay, bao buns, dirty maki, and so much more. It’s not just Japanese food but a huge mix of different types of Asian food, but we come here for the sushi. 

    Pubs

    Not everyone wants a fine dining experience; some of us just want to have a good, safe, tasty and filling pub meal in a really laid-back setting. I hear you – I always try to get to a pub when I travel somewhere. Here are some of Bergen’s pubs. 

    Bryggeriet Restaurant and Microbrewery

    $ – $
    Torget 2 (the large white building on the fish market square)

    Links

    Located just off the fish market, Bryggeriet is a popular gastropub with the locals. The menu focuses on seafood and meat dishes that are Norwegian-inspired, and there’s an excellent selection of beer from the microbrewery. They’ve got burgers, fish and chips, cod, mussels, beef tenderloin, chicken breast, pork, quinoa salad and stuffed eggplant. The microbrewery was the first to be established in Bergen and is 135 years old. 

    Madam Felle

    $
    Vegetarian Menu

    Links

    Located on Bryggen, Madam Felle is one of the spots where you see everyone sitting outside having a beer on a warm summer day. The menu includes snacks (nachos, anyone?), caesar salad (veggie and chicken), various sandwiches (smoked salmon, shrimp, blt, chicken curry, steak), quesadillas, hamburgers, ribs, steak, and scampi. check the website for their regular concerts. 

    Naboen

    $
    Sigurdsgate 4
    Vegetarian Menu

    Links

    Naboen is a popular Bergen pub with a simple menu consisting of a hamburger, fish and chips, reindeer wrap, toast with mushroom and beef, and ragu of beef tail with root vegetables. The a la carte menu has a little more, including caviar, Norwegian salmon, cured reindeer, mackerel, hake, grilled sirloin of deer, duck breast, Swedish meatballs and Swedish sirloin “plankstek”. 

    Italian

    Norwegians love Italian food – after all, we are the largest eaters of pizza per capita in the world! That’s mostly frozen pizza, but until someone opens a frozen pizza restaurant you’ll have to opt for some fresh pizza. I have heard from some Italians that the Italian restaurants in Bergen are better than they are in Italy, so don’t shy away from trying Italian food in Norway. 

    Olivia

    $ – $
    Torget 3 (in the big white building on the fish market square)

    Links

    Olivia is a really popular Italian restaurant chain throughout Norway, and this is Bergen’s Olivia right here on the fish market. This Olivia is inspired by Sicilian food, and the menu includes a large list of pizzas, pastas, steak, salmon, etc. 

    Ruccola

    $
    Vetrlidsallmenningen 7

    Links

    Ruccola is a lot more laid back than the other Italian restaurants, and also more affordable. On the menu you’ll find a large list of pasta, ravioli, risotto and pizza. 

    Villani

    $
    Skostredet 9A
    Vegan Menu

    Links

    Vilani is a new Italian restaurant in Bergen; my husband went there for a work dinner a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it. The menu includes focaccia, various pastas, salad, soups, risotto, and meat/fish mains. The pizza menu is traditional Neapolitan pizza. They have a huge list of vegetarian and vegan pizzas. 

    Villa Blanca

    $
    Nedre Korskirkeallmenningen 1A

    Links

    Villa Blanca is a popular pizza restaurant amongst the locals (I hear about it a lot!). The menu includes a huge list of pizzas, as well as some meaty mains. 

    International Cuisine

    Norway didn’t really experience international cuisine until quite recently (the first wave of immigrants occurred in the 1970s) and since then international restaurants have popped up all across the country. Bergen is not lacking in a range of different cuisines. If you are budget conscious, the international restaurants are typically cheaper than the Norwegian restaurants, and the food is just as good. Here are some of them below!

    Brasilia

    Brasilia Experience 460 NOK / Veggie 290 NOK
    Olav Kyrres Gate 39

    Links

    Brasilia is a Brazilian restaurant with buffets (meat or vegetarian), and there is an extensive list of cocktails and other types of drinks. You choose your side dishes from the buffet, and then they serve you 12(!) types of meats. Brasilia is popular with the locals!

    Horn of Africa

    $ (Mains 199 NOK)
    Strandgaten 212
    Vegetarian Menu

    Links

    Horn of Africa is an African restaurant with a focus on Ethiopian cuisine. Meals include shiro (ground chickpeas), tibs chilli, beef stew, chicken stew, shreds of lamb, or you can opt for a selection of four different meat or vegetarian dishes for 459 NOK for two people. It’s one of the top rated restaurants in Bergen (no. 3 on TripAdvisor), so it’s certainly worth a go!

    Small eats

    This list is comprised of cafes and eateries that are smaller in size and quicker than restaurants. They are perfect if you are budget conscious, don’t want to spend a night out at a restaurant, or are looking for lunch somewhere quick. 

    Daily Pot

    $-$
    Vaskerelven 21
    Vegan Menu
    Note: Lunch only (closes 6pm)

    Links

    Daily Pot is a healthy cafe with a wide selection of vegan options, as well as a couple meat options. They have a list of soups, sandwiches, ‘power bowls’ and cakes. 

    Bergen Travel Guide
    Norway Travel Guide
  • Foodies Guide

    Trying Lefse in Norway

    Trying Lefse in Norway

    One of the most requested foods I get as a tour leader in Norway is lefse. It’s something everyone has heard of and wants to try when they come to Norway. Where do you even find lefse in Norway? Is it common to buy? I set out (for research purposes) to try different types of lefse in Norway and report back with which lefse to buy.

    First, though, I took a look at how Norwegians view lefse.

    In this article...

    What is lefse?

    Lefse - Wikipedia Lefse is a type of Norwegian flatbread that is often (but not always) made with potatoes, flour, butter, and milk. It has a similar texture to a thin pancake and is often eaten with butter, sugar, cinnamon or brown cheese on. Norwegian-American variations may add peanut butter, corn syrup or ham and eggs. More on that later.

    It’s important to keep in mind that lefse is not flatbread. Sometimes we use it like a flatbread, but there is also a separate Norwegian flatbread (see here)

    Although lefse has so few ingredients, recipes amongst Norwegian and Norwegian-American recipes vary considerably. Each family claims to have the best recipe there is. This makes it tricky to decipher exactly what kind of lefse you should try – flat or thin? Sugar or salmon? Brown cheese? Rolled up or flat? There are so many options. It’s especially tricky when trying to figure out what recipe can make. I can see why so many people stick to their family recipe.

    Lefse is very popular in the United States. Most importantly, in the Mid-West there is a large Norwegian-American population. Between 1850 and 1920, 800,000 Norwegians left Norway to go to the United States – at the time, the population was around 3 million people. Today, Lefse is probably more popular in the United States than it is in Norway. Therefore, Norwegian-Americans take the making of lefse very seriously. Their recipes vary from the Norwegian recipes; American’s tend to use potatoes as the main ingredient, whereas Norwegians tend to use flour.

    The history of lefse

    Norway has strong lefse traditions linked to the popularity of flatbread. Flatbread kept well, and sources from the 16th century say that it was soaked before eating. The oldest lefse was made from flour; when potato was introduced in Norway it gradually overtook flour, though not in all places. Flour wasn’t as commonly available in some parts of the country, where wheat doesn’t grow so easily, but potatoes were able to grow almost anywhere, making it a worthy replacement.

    Several lefse traditions originate in the development of flatbread into finer pastries. For example, in Helgeland, the lefse is decorated with a pattern before being fried a second time (see krinalefse). In Salten, the lefse is a soft flatbread with sour cream and brown cheese filling; the flatbread softens like a spoon when you gently fry it. As Norway was a very isolated country until recently, almost every region has its own version of lefse.

    There is a rumour that the Vikings made lefse, but this isn’t true. Potatoes arrived in Norway in the 15th century, well after the Viking Age. The Vikings may have had a flour version of lefse, but it was likely much closer to a flatbread than lefse.

    How to cook lefse

    The original lefse in Norway were made with barley and oat flours, and later they were made from rye and wheat flours. Most importantly, potatoes are used in some parts of the country, though it is much less common.

    Once the dough is ready, it is divided into balls and then flattened into thin circles – often the size of the griddle. It is then rolled with a special roller with square indents – see equipment below.

    Traditionally, the lefse was fried over an open fire, stone slab or iron plate. Today, electric griddles are used. Most lefse recipes follow the principle of flatbread baking. The lefse is placed onto the griddle with a special wooden stick. Some recipes use a pan, good to know if you can’t fit a griddle in your tiny apartment kitchen (my own experience!)

    Equipment

    Wooden Stick For example, in Wallendal in Bergen:

    Cost: 69 NOK (https://wallendahl.no/produkt/aanonsen-bakepinne-70-cm-flat/)

    Buying Online in Norway:

    Buying Online in the USA:

    Griddle Originally, my husband said griddles would be hard to find in Norway. Yet, in the very first store we checked in, we found one. Originally I was going to attempt to make lefse at home, but the griddle I found was way too big. We found it in Coop Obs:

    I think my husband was saying they were hard to find simply so we didn’t have to buy one! There are heaps online, just look for the word “steketakke”

    Buying Online in Norway:

    Buying a Griddle in the USA:

    Rolling Pin I did buy a rolling pin at Wallendahl for 199 NOK. They are easy to find:

    Buy in the USA:

    Lefse Kit Those in the USA are lucky because you can buy a lefse kit straight from Amazon that includes everything mentioned above. View it here: https://www.amazon.com/Piece-Lefse-Starter-Non-stick-Grill/dp/B00QXVUK3W/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=lefse+starter+kit&pd_rd_r=5668dc0e-8510-47a3-ad9a-392c200e97c3&pd_rd_w=Xmgxe&pd_rd_wg=1tzHh&pf_rd_p=ff875a9e-7810-43da-bae9-ec4c363817ac&pf_rd_r=DQ6HX6XG680C5WQ59VQF&qid=1592977565&sr=8-2

    Regional Differences

    When researching this article, I came across so many variations of what to do with lefse. It depends on either where you are, where you are from, or how you like your lefse.

    Moreover, traditional Norwegian lefse is smeared with butter, sugar and cinnamon. Some also use varieties of brown cheese.

    Lefse recipes vary across Norway. Here are some examples:

    Lokalmat - Snekalefse - smurt tynnlefse
    Tynnlefse (source: lokalmat)

    • Eastern Norway: Typically uses potato and the texture resembles that of soft bread. It may be used as a meal rather than a dessert, and it’s common to find salty toppings such as jam, sausage, and more. This is not common in other parts of the country. Potato was more commonly used here from the 19th century onwards and was also common in Sweden. It was essential for survival during times when the supply of grain was low. This
    • Central Norway: Tynnlefse is flour-based lefse that is rolled up with butter, sugar and cinnamon. (Recipe)
    • Salten in Nordland: Møsbrømlefse made from water, cheese and flour. (Recipe)
    • Nordland: Nordlandslefse is chunky lefse made of butter, syrup, sugar, eggs and flour. It was originally made in Western Norway as a treat to the Lofoten fishermen who arrived to trade their stockfish. (Recipe)
    • Hordaland: Anislefse resembles thin lefse but is stained by large amounts of aniseed. (Recipe)

    Eastern Norway

    Mørlefse (source)

    Western Norway

    Hardanger Lefse (source)

    Northern Norway

    Southern Norway

    Central Norway

     

    Lefse and the USA

    Lefse is very popular amongst Norwegian descendants in the United States and is commonly made and eaten around Christmas.

    Norwegian-Americans are more likely to make lefse from scratch than Norwegians are today. This is because the lefse-making tradition was brought over by Norwegians and it is seen as a way to connect to their heritage.

    Norwegian-American lefse is much more likely to be made with potatoes as many of the first Norwegians farmed potato and therefore made it easy to make lefse.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xLlQ3ff2GM The USA is keeping the lefse tradition alive. There are classes on how to make lefse, lefse can be found in many grocery stores in the Mid-West, and there are even lefse factories! Some parts of the country even have lefse festivals, such as the Lutefisk and Lefse Festival in Fargo, North Dakota, the Lefse Fest in Fosston Minnesota, and Lefse Day in Mankato Minnesota. The Potato Days Festival in Barnesville Minnesota has a lefse cookoff.

    American Recipes

    American recipes are not as varied as Norwegian recipes, and most of the recipes I found use potatoes instead of flour.

    Here are some examples of recipes:

    Lefse in Norway today

    In Norway, lefse is a traditional food that is typically reserved for special occasions. It is not eaten that often in Norway. The only times I’ve had lefse is when I’m with a group; I’ve never had it with my family. My husband buys lefse maybe once a year. We’ve never made it, though I’m working on putting together my own recipe!

    There are lefse competitions in Norway. This is a competition overview from 2018, where the winner was Suldals Lefse and the runner up was Nordland’s Lefse. An honourable mention went to Sunnmørslefse, the only potato-based lefse mentioned. The recipes of the winners are on the website if you want to be guaranteed good tasting lefse.

    In general, lefse is a snack food you can buy from kiosks or it’s food taken when you go hiking. It is sometimes served at traditional dinners (e.g. Christmas dinner), but this is becoming less common.

    There are some really interesting Norwegian recipes that use lefse – if you want to go full Norwegian, you can make this Lefse with Lutefisk recipe. Honestly, I’ve only ever seen lefse as a sweet snack. The idea of adding fish seems foreign. But that’s just me – as we’ve learned so far, lefse preference differs greatly according to region.

    Here’s a Reddit thread of what Norwegians put on lefse today.

    Trying lefse in Norway

    Now for the fun part – where can you try lefse in Norway? For this bit, I ventured out to several supermarkets and collected up the different types of lefse I found.

    For the reviews I recruited my dear husband and local Norwegian, Sean. He is born and raised in Bergen and grew up eating lefse. I’ve lived here for four years and only eat lefse with tourists. Hopefully both of our opinions will help you!

    Vestlands Lefse with Sugar and Cinnamon

    Frozen Aisle (near the frozen breads) / 55 NOK for 6 packets of Lefse / Shop Link

    Ingredients: Plain flour, sugar, margarine, milk, salt

    Vestlandslefse is produced by Orkla Foods Norway and has its origins in Os, just south of Bergen. Production started in 1959 by Inger Bøe, and her son carried on the business. The business left Os in 2012 and is now in Stranda, Møre og Romsdal. It is closest to Møsbrømlefse, Krinalefse and Lefsekling. (See product website here)

    This is the lefse my husband buys every year and this is the one he stands by. It’s also one of the very few brands to be found in the frozen aisle. This is the first lefse I tried in Norway so it’s the lefse I associate the ‘proper’ taste with – I may be a little biased here!

    My Review: I found it a little soggy when first biting into it, but I was told by Sean it was because we didn’t let them defrost enough. I love the taste – it’s super creamy and buttery and cinnamon-ey – they don’t skimp on the ingredients. This is what I buy whenever I want a snack. It’s so so good. 4.5/5

    Sean’s Review: Most traditional tasting lefse (at least for the west coast) closest thing to what has been served traditionally in my family. Filling is excellent, with right amount of cinnamon and sugar added. 4.5/5

    Where to buy: Avaiable in all supermarkets. You can also buy individual packets at kiosks (defrosted).

    Klenning Lefse with Brown Cheese

    Near the fresh breads / 19 NOK at Kiwi / Shop link

    Ingredients: Plain flour / margarine / milk / brown cheese

    “Klenning” is a type of lefse found in Trøndelag, and the brand “Berthas” is likely what you’ll buy in stores as it is the clearly dominating brand in supermarkets. When it’s in a little packet like the one seen above, it’s often called “Turklenning”, meaning you grab it and take it with you on a hike (tur=tour in English).

    This lefse comes with small pieces of brown cheese from the cheese brand Synnøve.

    My Review: I love the brown cheese inside the lefse. It adds a really special sweetness to the bread, and there’s not enough brown cheese that it’s overpowering. I was really surprised by how good this was. 4.5/5

    Sean’s Review: Brown cheese sticks out, and like the potato lefse (below), sticks out since it is the only one on the list that has a unique flavor to it with enhanced sweetness in lieu of the more traditional cinnamon

    Klenning Lefse with Sugar and Cinnamon

    Near the fresh breads / 19 NOK

    This is the ‘normal’ version of the Turklenning lefse. It’s a standard lefse and in many ways similar to the Vestlandslefse above.

    My Review: It’s a fine, typical lefse. It’s lighter on the sugar than Vestlandslefse, and fairly forgettable (I originally forgot to include it in the article). It’s a safe bet for those who are unsure if they’ll like lefse. 3.5/5

    Sean’s Review: Nothing in this lefse that sticks out, or detracts, just ultimately a generic lefse. There is a variant with cinnamon that is preferred over this. 3/5

    Lefsegodt

    Near the fresh breads / 15 NOK / Comes with two pieces

    Ingredients: made with plain flour

    This lefse has a more sandwich texture; you can see in the photos above how much thicker it is compared to the other lefse I tried. It does look like it should have a cakey texture in some recipes I found online (see here), but this particular lefse is more bready. It takes inspiration from the “tykklefse” (see recipe here) On the packet you can see it says “Norske lefse tradisjoner”, meaning it is inspired by more traditional methods of making lefse.

    My Review: I found it to be too similar to bread, and the thickness of the lefse almost hid the butter and cinnamon underneath. I also found it to be very heavy; I don’t know if I could finish a whole one. 3/5

    Sean’s Review: Bland, and consists of mostly bread. Good snack if the goal is to fill yourself up quickly, but otherwise – pass. 2/5

    Buy on Norwegian food store

    Lefse roll made from potato lefse

    Near the fresh breads / 39 NOK at Coop supermarket / Shop link

    Finally, a potato lefse! This was the only one I could find in my local supermarket and I was eager to try potato-based lefse. On the packet you can see “en smak av Lierne”, meaning it was inspired by the lefse in Lierne, a region in Trøndelag in central Norway.

    Putting “Lefserull smurte potetlefser” returns many results for savoury recipes, including lefse with salmon and lefse with ham. The recipes look delicious, but it is something I would associate more with flatbread or tortillas. I may need to try making these recipes to see if it works.

    Now, onto what I thought:

    My Review: I really wanted to like potato lefse because it seems so popular in the United States, but I found this really hard to eat. I found the potato lefse starchy and really glue-like. However, there wasn’t really any flavour coming from a filling, so I was left with eating cold, dense potatoes. It was my least favourite of them all. 2/5

    Sean’s Review: Rubbery texture, bland taste. Stands out from the other lefse types since it is made out of potatoes. Cinnamon variant exists for this, would highly recommend over the generic non-spiced variant. 3/5

    Words to know

    Here are some Norwegian words you’ll come across when seeking out lefse:

    • Lefserull = rolled up lefse
    • Kanel = cinnamon
    • Potet = potato
    • Med = with (e.g. Lefse med kanel)
    • Tur = tour/travel. Often refers to small packets you take on a hike or little snack packs
    • Sukker = sugar
    • Brunost = Brown Cheese (the brand is Synnøve Gudbrandal)

    Conclusion

    I hope this article has been useful in discovering lefse in Norway, and hopefully you’ll be able to try some on your visit.

    Building this list: if you know another type of lefse that can be found in stores, please reach out to me so I can add it to my list!