Full Interview on Kransekake
Question: How would you describe kransekake?
Answer: It’s kind of like a pastry. It’s very, it’s crunchy on the outside and it’s chewy on the inside. It’s got a very strong almond flavor, which I like. And it’s kind of delicate.
Q: What is its origin in your family?
A: Well, my godmother, her name was Gloria; she made it for celebrations like family weddings. She made it for both her kids, she had two kids, she made it at both their weddings. She made it for my wedding, well reception. She made it for a lot of family get-togethers.
Q: Was Gloria the main one who made it in your family?
A: Yeah, because she was really good at it. I don’t think my mom would have had the fortitude to do it because; you buy the rings at like Creative Kitchen in Fargo at the West Acres Mall. They’re like doughnut rings kind of, except they’re metal and they get consecutively smaller so that it’s like a tower of rings.
Q: Like the toy that the kids play with?
A: Exactly like that, yes. It’s very tedious to make it.
Q: Did you ever help her make it?
A: One time I did. And then my sister and I tried to make it for her wedding.
Q: Which sister?
A: Sonya. Because she wanted it for her wedding. And at the time, Gloria was too old to make it herself. So we tried to make it ourselves and it was not comparable at all.
Q: Did you use Gloria’s recipe?
A: Yes, we did.
Q: Do you have that written down somewhere?
A: Somewhere…
Q: Because you should probably, like, find that for me for this project (laughs).
A: Yes, I will. I forgot to bring it but I will.
Q: What is your favorite memory making it?
A: Well. Actually my favorite memory of making it is when you were in first grade. I, um…you had a, what was that called? Like A ‘Tour Around the World’ or something? And you chose Norway? (Grunt of recognition by interviewer).
Q: I think it was actually (Norwegian Independence) too.
A: It was on (Norwegian Independence). So I made mini ones so that every kid could have one and they were really good. They were, it was probably my best effort. And then I put Norwegian Flags on them and then I printed out a Norwegian newspaper and I sent it with you to school. And then your teacher sent me a nice note.
Q: You got a lot of nice notes from my teachers.
A: Yeah. (Prideful smile on interviewee’s face). I think it was my best effort.
Q: Do you have any pictures of that?
A: No, I don’t think I do.
Q: Because I, like, vividly remember the little things with the Norwegian flags but I don’t…
A: You put the little [flags in the]; you know the icing, like the powdered sugar icing.
Q: It’s really common for Norwegians to do the little flag thing too.
A: Yup.
Q: What is your favorite part of the preparation process?
A: Um, well I guess putting them in the rings is kind of fun. Like the dough in the rings.
Q: Do you do that before you bake it?
A: Yup. And you bake them right in the rings and then you flip them out. And making sure that they don’t stick to the rings is a challenge, because they’re not nonstick.
Q: What is it with Norwegians and sticky stuff?
A: I don’t know.
Q: Like lefse is a pain to make. Like it sticks once, you’re screwed.
A: It’s so old. Everything is so old. Like they did it before, they didn’t have…
Q: They didn’t have pam!
A: (Less than amused) Yeah, right.
Q: So for what occasions is it prepared? Weddings?
A: Mostly weddings. Or like family reunions. Like I noticed when I was in Norway there was a big gathering at a house when we were on our May seminar and they didn’t have it there and I was shocked because I thought they would. But then we went over to Sweden and we had a picnic in this park along the water and it was gorgeous. And here’s a kransekake and it had little Swedish flags in it. And I think I took a picture of it, I can’t remember. But I though that is delightful. It was very festive. And I knew what it was.
Q: Oh yeah. And this is going to be kind of a silly question but what makes kransekake Norwegian in your opinion?
A: Um, well I think Norwegian food is really white. And it’s [kransekake] not white, but its pale and it has a real almond-y flavor, which is common. Like sandbakkels, krumkake has an almond-y flavor. They use cardamom a lot. And they have similar baked goods, I think.
Q: Do you feel like its, its not necessarily plain white, it has like a good flavor. But you know what I mean?
A: It has really good flavor. But it’s typical. It’s pale. Same as the skin color.
Q: And the hair, usually. Except your mom is dark complexioned.
A: Yeah, there are some darker Norwegians in the north.
Q: Was she [her family] from northern Norway?
A: Nuh uh.
Q: Where is her family from? Bergen?
A: No, but by Bergen. I think it was called Heggedal. Like Sonia Heggedal [a proudly Norwegian home economics teacher the interviewer had in high school]. It was called, the village that her relatives were from was Heggedal.
Q: Ok. Has Sonya ever been to Norway?
A: Nope. My mom went. So when she went I looked up her relatives so that she could connect with them, actually that was by Oslo. Maybe her… they were living by Oslo. So she went to see them and she thought they were atrocious. She did not like them at all.
Q: I’m sure they liked her.
A: It was probably a mutual distain.
[Short break]
Q: Why was your mom so big into it [making kransekake]?
A: She is really big into heritage. She is very proud that she’s Scandinavian, and Norwegian in particular. Like she’s a member of the Sons of Norway, not that she’s very active with them but she’s very into traditions. She did actually instill those in us, like we always have lefse, we always, not so much anymore but we used to do rosettes. They’re Norwegian.
Q: And they’re deep-fried!
A: Yes, they’re delightful. And lutefisk, back when we were growing up we always had lutefisk at Christmas. She did all that.
Q: Do you think that’s why you went into Scandinavian studies?
A: I’m sure. And part of that was my roommate was into it too. That’s why I did it. She took the class and she liked it and then I took the class and I like it and then we ended up going on a May Sem.
[Unrelated banter and then our food came]