Have You Ever Heard of the ‘Strangest’ Food in Iowa?

When I moved from Michigan to Eastern Iowa over eight years ago, I was introduced to a ton of foods that I had never heard of before. Maid-Rites, enormous breaded pork tenderloins, Casey's Breakfast Pizza, Kolaches... there are so many delicious options!

Last week, the website 24/7 Wall Street posted an article titled, 'The Strangest Food From Every State,' and I was genuinely surprised by the pick for Iowa. Have you ever had a Kumla? Because I haven't!

According to the article, a Kumla is a "heavy Norwegian ham-and-potato dumpling," which is often served with lots of butter and sour cream. Norwegian American says that the dish is also referred to as "potet klubb, komle, krub, kompe, and raspeballer."

If you've never heard of Kumla before, then there's a good chance you've never been to Story City, Iowa! Kumla is a popular food to eat during the city's annual Scandinavian Days Festival. The event typically features a variety of food vendors, including a stand with Kumla on a Stick. Users on the Cyclone Fanatic website warn that the dumplings are very heavy, including Nedrick who wrote:

"Be careful, those babies will fill you up in a hurry!"

Back in 2018, Adam Byersdorf won the Scandinavian Days Kumla Eating Contest by devouring ten Kumla balls!

Another popular food at the festival is called Kringla, which is a soft cookie often served during the Christmas season. The website Bake it With Love says the traditional Norwegian and Swedish cookie is very similar to a sugar cookie.

To check out Kumla, Kringla, and all the other Norwegian Foods that Story City has to offer, check out Scandinavian Days coming up June 2nd and 3th! You can get the latest updates about the festival on Facebook HERE.