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Why Would A Lutheran Make Latkes Instead of Lefse?
Food is inspired by personal history with dishes rather than ethnicity alone
Most of the text of this piece was originally published in 2017 on my blog, The Apples In My Orchard. Today, I thought of it as I had latkes for lunch at a local diner in Wisconsin.
The Food Story in 2017
Last night we had potato pancakes or latkes for dinner. We regularly had these while I was growing up. So recently, when my 18-year-old asked us to switch up what we were serving for meals, I thought this was a great opportunity to try them again.
But, I started to laugh as I grated the potatoes, thinking, “Here I am, living in the upper mid-west, a Lutheran, and I am making latkes, not lefse!”
We live in an area of the country saturated with Norwegians and the customs of that Scandinavian country! Common are the names Hanson, Peterson, Olson, and more that reflect the Norse heritage!
Personal stories of making lefse are commonly shared like the one my friend told this morning over coffee. And, other accounts are readily available after being shared on social media.
We tried lefse when we first moved here years ago. I have never tried making it — nor would I, as it…
