Lutefisk
By Dr. Ann
@drannhh (15219)
United States
September 30, 2007 2:56pm CST
Here is a discussion that only needs one word in the title. People who know the word can fill in the rest all by themselves. Have you ever heard this word? Do you know what it is first hand?Lutefisk is a food made out of codfish. Not just any cod, but rich, Norwegian cod with high protein. Before anybody had refrigerators, though they had to dry it so hard it was like a scraggly rock and then to make it edible again they had to soak it in lye. Ackkk. Lots of people have colorful stories to tell about lutefisk and I'm no exception.
But what is news to me is that in Italy in Spain they know how to take the same cod fish and turn it into a completely different food and although this will make many Norwegian ancestors roll over in their graves, this other food, called bacalao is much more palatable.
If you are from Norway, Denmark, or Sweden and/or you LIKE lutefisk, bonk me over the head with a cyber-rock, but tell me if I'm wrong. I just read an essay by a guy who said the National Dish of Norway is not lutefisk any more, that now it is...Frozen Pizza. What do you think of that!?
What about bacalao? Have you tasted it? Did you like it?
Do you eat cod fish at all? If you do, is the food you like made from dried cod or fresh. Is there any other kind of fish you know that is dried first and then reconstituted, so to speak. I want to hear all about it.
3 people like this
5 responses
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
30 Sep 07
Hi, Matt,
One of my grandma's lived close to the Swedish border, and she always liked it, too, but could not get her wicked boy (my Dad) to eat it. In Minnesota, where he grew up, it was almost a national pastime to pretend not to like lutefisk. I'm very glad to hear that you do find it delicious, and I'm sure if I ate some I would like it too!
@GardenGerty (157546)
• United States
1 Oct 07
I live near a community with strong Swedish ties, it is in fact called "Little Sweden, USA" (aka, Lindsborg, Ks.) I have never tried lutefisk, but I have heard stories and jokes about it ever since I first came to Kansas as a college student, many years ago. I have tried oostekaka, and that is probably the wrong way to spell it, and I like it with lingongberries on top. Your post reminds me of a book we got for our brother- in-law, called "Scandinavian Humor, and Other Myths." My husband's family is of Finlander descent. He does not think they do lutefisk in Finland. Probably too smart.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157546)
• United States
1 Oct 07
I recognize the second spelling. Bob makes a heck of an anchovy dish called Janzen's temptation. Got it from a Scandinavian cookbook he bought at a yard sale. He has also made me a ham encrusted in pastry. He grew up in a community of Swedes, Finns, Italians and Portuguese in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Product of a third generation Finn and a lace curtain Irish lass from Rhode Island.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
1 Oct 07
I love Lingon berries, but I shudder to tell you what the sound of that word means in another language, lol. Speaking of Spanish, I found an oostekaka recipe on the same page as Mexican Three Milk Cake (Pastel Tres Leches) and I think it can be spelled ostekake or Ostkaka, too. Ohhhhh, I am getting hungry. With this hand, occupied with the thought of lingon berry cheesecake and with the other I am writing an article on food for Triond.
They probably don't do Lutefisk in Finland if they can help it. In addition to the taste, it is a lot of work making it, right? I apologize now to the Fins as well as the Norwegians, and invite them all to bonk me over the head with a cyber-brick.
1 person likes this
@ifinallyfoundmybaby (1742)
• Philippines
10 Oct 07
nice nice though it would be even nicer if you could provide us soem pics :) i havent heard of such food im going to look up for it right away . .
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
11 Oct 07
Since Matte is a really good photographer, maybe we can get him to take a picture next month, and post it here (?) since he lives where Lutefisk is fashionable. In the meantime, however, this is the best I can find:
http://www.lutefiskmike.com/lutefisk.cfm
