Fish Jello; aka Lutefisk

I remember going to my Oma's house when I was a little kid and watching the "grown-ups" eat lutefisk. I remember watching them eat, and I also remember the smell. It was strong, it was definitely lutefisk. The odor was kind of fishy, but also kind of something else; somehow it reminded me of the smell of play-doh mixed with maybe a cleaning detergent of some sort. I tried it a couple of times and wondered: What are these people thinking?? Maybe its one of those adult things that you grow into like coffee or beer? As I grew into liking coffee, and beer, unfortunately (or fortunately) it never happened with lutefisk.

Lutefisk is a traditional Scandinavian dish that is essentially dried whitefish that is soaked in lye. It is soaked in water first and then lye. It causes the fish to swell and I learned actually decreases the protein content by 50% with creates a lovely jello-like consistency (mmmm... MN sarcasm at play here). After its soaked in lye, it is basically poisonous and will corrode substances that it comes into contact with (once again, yum). Therefore, before it can be ingested by us mammals, it must be soaked in water again for several days to make sure it doesn't give us lucky eaters severe stomach pain, vomiting, and chemical burns. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk)

So it's hard not to wonder,  why do people eat lutefisk?? I still ponder this every holiday. I understand that centuries ago Scandinavians ate the stuff because it was cheap and they could save it through the winter using readily available lye, but why continue? Every year my parents attend the lutefisk dinner at a large Lutheran church in Minneapolis; there are actually police directing traffic. We attended a family luncheon this year that served lutefisk as a special (and three out of 6 adults at our table ordered it, and Stella even ate some!). While I usually take a mere bite to satiate my family's expectations, this delicacy continues to be hard to swallow.

Dave's lutefisk entree at Jax Cafe in Northeast Mpls; at least the Lefse looks tasty! :)

There is a lot of prose and mockery out there about this stuff. Maybe that's what makes it attractive. But it's also a symbol of strength, it's a tradition that marks our heritage, a symbol of respect for how far our ancestors have come... Or if you ask my dad, he eats it because he genuinely likes the stuff!

So while I still shudder and nostrils cringe at a looming plate of this Scandinavian delight, I have respect for this bloated little piece of our history. Does that mean I will eventually grow into liking it? Probably not, but I will continue to take my bite every holiday, and relish in this finny tradition that is so easy to love.. to hate.

 Post-meal at Jax Cafe with Mom and Dad Thron!

 So in parting, I quote a fellow Minnesotan, Garrison Keillor, in saying "It can be tasty, but the statistics aren’t on your side. It is the hereditary delicacy of Swedes and Norwegians who serve it around the holidays, in memory of their ancestors, who ate it because they were poor. Most lutefisk is not edible by normal people. It is reminiscent of the afterbirth of a dog or the world's largest chunk of phlegm."  Maybe that's a little harsh, but we Minnesotan's love the dry humor don't you know?? And maybe it's not edible by normal people, but who said we were normal up here (in MN) anyway??