Most countries have it in some form or other and in Norway, where it's almost the national bread and eaten with most meals, there are many varieties. It's unleavened, flat and thin and the thinner the better! It has to be rolled and rolled (if you're not experienced when you start you sure are by the time you finish!) and then cooked on enormous griddles, a real time consuming job. Due to the dry climate in Norway flatbread keeps perfectly for years if stored properly. It's mostly country housewives who keep the flatbread baking tradition alive and the ingredients they use vary from area to area. H. Hjelmstad from Gudbrandsdal, herself an expert flatbread maker through many, many years, tells us that she uses cold mashed potatoes, barley flour and white flour. Her neighbour, who is a more northern Norwegian, wouldn't dream of using potatoes. Flatbread bakers take great pride in their product and these housewives are always eager to taste each others'---to ensure that their own is the best!
Flatebread 1 Flatebread 2 Flatebread 3