It's That Time Of The Year!

The leaves are all on the ground. The harvest is in and it's time for celebration. Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming soon. But first, all Scandinavians are thinking Lutefisk, the annual traditional feast of Scandinavian history."

   ARE YOU READY FOR SOME LUTEFISK?

Lutefisk (Norwegian) or Lutfisk (Swedish) or Ludfisk (Danish) is a traditional dish of the Nordic countries Lutefisk, long a holiday food tradition among Scandinavian-Americans, is dried  cod, or  even  haddock or pollock.in the United States. Norwegian-Americans traditionally serve it for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but November is known for numerous fish feasts among people with Scandinavian backgrounds. During the fall in Wisconsin, people watch their local newspapers for announcements of lutefisk suppers, which are usually held in Norwegian churches.

--------------------

 Usually every Norwegian church will host at least one lutefisk supper between October and the end of the year. The dinners have become so popular, that lovers of the special dish drive great distances,...and these are not just people of Scandinavian descent! They enjoy the taste, despite all the jokes and the strange reputation of this fish!


 But today, Scandinavians in "The Old Country" rarely eat lutefisk. Far more lutefisk is consumed in the United States, much of it in church and lodge basements. In fact, the self-proclaimed “lutefisk capital of the world” isn’t in Norway, but in Minnesota. Madison, Minnesota  is known as the Lutefisk Capital. To document this standing, the city  has a giant fiberglass cod statue named Lou T. Fisk

St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota serves lutefisk during their famous Christmas Festival Concerts. They also host an annual music festival called "Lutefest", however, lutefisk is not served at this festival.

-----------------------

Today, lutefisk starts as cod, traditionally caught in the cold waters off Norway. It’s then dried to the point that it attains the feel of leather and the firmness of corrugated cardboard. Water alone can’t reconstitute the fish. After a lenghty period of storage, it is soaked in a combination of birch ash, limestone, and water, a combination we know, today, as lye.In years past, this “soaking time” caused the chemical reaction creating the well-known reputation of “stinky fish!” a reputation that prevails today.

At the dinner table,  melted butter sits in ceramic pitchers for easy pouring, though other dinners feature a mustard or cream sauce. Diners often bring their own special salts and peppers to suit their taste. The fish itself is flaky and a slightly translucent white in color. With the added butter or cream, the dish is relished by happy diners. For the faint of heart, there are meatballs and the ever-present lefse.

A pile of rolled lefse, the Scandinavian potato flatbread similar in appearance to a flour tortilla, sits in the center of the table by the sticks of butter and bowls of brown sugar, which is  lefse’s usual dressing. The rest of the meal is a fairly standard slate of starchy seasonal fare: mashed potatoes with gravy, creamy coleslaw, cranberries, green beans and a big bowl of mashed rutabagas .

Lutefisk was not necessarily a Christmas delicacy, but as the Norwegians became Americanized, they seized on lutefisk as a unique remainder from the old days and incorporated it into their Christmas traditions. 

 Norwegian-Americans believe that lutefisk was brought by their ancestors on the ships when they came to America, and that it was all they had to eat. Today, the fish is celebrated in ethnic and religious celebrations and is linked with memories of hardship and courage.

----------------------

In the past, preparation of the fish  consisted of soaking the dried fish in a mixture of birch ash, limestone, and water. This process changed the fishmeat, creating a light, easily

 digestible dish high in protein and low in fat. Lutefisk is a perfect food to be included in today's health-conscious diet. However, few can be convinced or eat it for that reason.The real reason is tradition.

 ------------------------

The history of lutefisk dates back to the Vikings. On one occasion, according to one legend, plundering Vikings burned down a fishing village, including the wooden racks with drying cod. The returning villagers poured water on the racks to put out the fire. Ashes covered the dried fish, and then it rained, burying the fish  in the ashes . Digging out the ash-covered fish, the villagers were surprised to see that the dried fish had changed to what looked like fresh fish. They rinsed the fish in water and boiled it.

. The story is that one particularly brave villager tasted the fish and declared it "not bad! While the fish itself , when served, has a “quiet, but distinctive” taste, additives become an important issue! The lutefisk dinner is an annual fall and winter tradition at scores of Lutheran churches and Nordic fraternal groups  throughout the Upper Midwest and Pacific Northwest or anywhere with a large Scandinavian-American population.

Our Vennskap lodge has held an annual dinner for the general public for  years, and you are invited!

A typical plate of  lutefisk.

 This will be our 18th Annual Dinner, held this year at Lakeland College, which is located near Plymouth and  Howards Grove, Wisconsin , Sunday, November 11th.. Lutefisk, meatballs, lefse, boiled potatoes, fruit soup,  rømmegrøt ( You’ll love that!) ....and Scandinavian delicacies by the tableful.

 Dinner is served at 2 PM with a full afternoon of festivities including doorprizes donated by 32 organizations. For a “No wait” service, we will have four self-serve food lines to help you carry your extra plates to the tables. Reserved tables are available. For information and tickets, contact Gary Henderson. Phone 1- (920) 467-6473 or  E-mail gwhenderson@charter.net   Information on location, time, menu and accommodations are available.

------------------------------

Our members have been preparing the dining area and plans are set for another large crowd of happy diners. You are welcome to join us!

Leave room for the delicious Scandinavian pasteries!