Driving from Stockholm to Fulufjället National Park in Sweden, we were looking for a place en route to go horseback riding and grab some hiking supplies. Leksand is about three hours from Stockholm and two a half hours from Fulufjället National Park, and was pretty much the perfect place to stop along the way. We did end up horseback riding at gathered up some supplies for our upcoming hike, which included the delicious Leksandsbröd, a Swedish crisp bread that is fit for Elves!
Leksand
Located in Dalarna, Sweden, Leksand is nestled within beautiful lake country. It is right along the southern tip of Lake Siljan, which is the sixth largest lake in the country. Siljan Lake is located along the southern part of the Siljan Ring which was created by a meteorite striking the earth 377 million years ago. Dalarna means “the dales” or valleys and the whole region is a popular tourist destination for Swedes. Notably, the Dala horse, the traditional red painted horse toy, originated from this area.
Leksandsbröd
Leksandsbröd is traditional Swedish crispbread usually made from whole-grain rye, though today you can buy a variety of flavors. It comes either in large circular pieces, or broken down into little triangular wedges. The bread is very simple, with only four ingredients including whole-grain rye, water, yeast, and touch of salt.
This bread is very thin, light, and quite crispy, and is usually topped with butter and jam, or meat and cheese. If you visit the Leksandsbröd website , you can get even fancier recipes with ingredients ranging from citrus marinated lettuce to caviar.
Swedish Crispbread
Crisp bread has been made since around 500 AD. This thin, dry bread was made into a circular shape with a hole in the middle. This hole would allow the bread to be stacked and stored on long poles sticking out along the top of the wall under the roof. Crisp bread was usually made in bulk in the spring and fall, and was able to be stored for a long time, as long as it was kept dry.
Lembas Bread?
Lembas bread is the food made by the elves in the Lord of the Rings. This bread was nutritious, thin, crispy, and kept for long periods of time…. Sort of like crisp bread. It has often been speculated that the Nordic countries provided inspiration for Tolkien’s elves. Perhaps that means that Leksandsbröd is our very own real-life version of elvish food. I like to think so.
Where do I get some of that crispbread?
We picked up our Leksandsbröd right at the source, in a little grocery store in Leksand, Sweden. Luckily for the world, you can purchase Swedish crispbread online as well. Again, I would go right to the source… well, sort of. Leksands’ store on Amazon.
For other great posts on Sweden, check out my post, Visiting the grand Kvilleken Oak Tree.