Food Traditions Groups / Support Outreach

Food Lefse, fleischkuekle, knepfla soup, kugen, rummer grot, krum kaka, lutefisk, kolaches…in North Dakota you can find these traditional foods listed on restaurant menus across the state. While German/German from Russian and Norwegian foodways predominate, Swedish, Danish, Polish, Dutch, Lebanese, and Jewish food traditions can also be experienced. The recipes may have been shared, adapted, and customized to meet the needs and expectations of the region or the available ingredients. Many of the most popular ethnic foods in the region derive from the two largest population groups - the Germans from Russians and the Norwegians. German from Russia and German Food Traditions The Germans and German from Russians make many dough-based meals. Knepfla, also known as knoepfle, noeffle, nueffla, noefle, niffle, knoefle, knipf and by other spellings, is most often pronounced "nifla'. It is the name given to the basic noodles and dumplings that are a staple in many recipes. Eggs and flour are the main ingredients. While fresh, homemade are preferred packages of the tiny, dense dumplings can be found in the frozen food sections of many supermarkets. Kuchen is a coffee cake made with a sugary crust with a creamy custard that covers a layer of whatever fruit is in season - peaches and plums in summer and prunes or dry cottage cheese in winter. This dessert is so popular in the region that kuchen "factories" have developed in order to fill the restaurant demand for the ethnic treat. Fleischkuekle is a meat filled pie, much like the Cornish "pasties" or Russian perogies. They are fried rather than beaked. In some communities, the fleischkuekle threaten to displace hamburgers as the first "fast food choice" of local patrons. For additional information on German from Russia food traditions, visit the GRHC web site at http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/grhc. Go to History/Culture and then click on Recipes for extensive information. Norwegian Food Traditions Lefse, grot, and lutefisk are among the most popular of Norwegian ethnic foods. Lefse, made from potatoes and flour and baked on the stove-top, is cut into triangles and most often served with butter and sugar. One of Norway's hidden foods is grøt, a porridge of that can be made from oats, wheat, barley, rye or rice and served hot or cold. Grøt, in its many forms is not likely to be found in restaurants. It is the food of the hearth. Hot porridge is usually eaten for an evening meal, garnished with butter and sugar. Cold porridges or puddings are eaten for dessert, served together with a custard sauce or a fruit sauce. Lutefisk, one of the most loved as well as maligned foods of Scandinavia, is dried cod that is then soaked in a lye bath in order to restore the fresh appearance and flavor. Often served as a delicacy during the holiday season, even Scandinavians admit that "it's an acquired taste." Lutefisk can be served with drawn butter, salt and pepper, or covered with a gravy-like cream sauce. For additional information about Norwegian foodways and recipes visit these web sites: Hendricks, MN website with Norwegian recipes www.itctel.com/~polson/ethnic.html ODIN-Norwegian Food www.odin.dep.no/odin/engelsk/norway/history/ 032005-990493/index-dok000-b-n-a.html The Norwegian Table www.fromnorway.net/norwegian_food/ 199910/foodcultureone.htm

Related Web Sites Hendricks, MN website with Norwegian recipes Lewis and Clark ODIN-Norwegian Food Pioneer Family Pioneer Trails Regional Museum Prairie Public The American West The Norwegian Table