Posted on 12/08/2023 1:24:35 PM PST by Red Badger
LUTEFISK DAY
On December 9th, Lutefisk Day reminds residents in Norway, Finland, and Sweden to begin preparing their lutefisk for Christmas. The day is also referred to as Anna’s Day.
In case you’re not Scandinavian, lutefisk is basically cod that gets soaked in lye. After the cod is caught, it’s dried to the point of becoming firm and leathery. To tenderize the fish and bring it back to its former condition, it gets soaked in lye. Once it’s nice and tender, the lutefisk is skinned and boned.
Finally, the fish is boiled until it reaches a gelatinous consistency. Another way to prepare lutefisk is to season it and bake it in the oven. Some say that lutefisk tastes mildly fishy with a soapy aftertaste. Many people would say that lutefisk doesn’t smell so good. To make it more edible, some people coat the fish in beer batter and deep fry it. Despite its taste and smell, many die-hard Scandinavians still eat lutefisk. It is a Christmas tradition, after all.
Along with those in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, lutefisk is consumed in the U.S by Scandinavian Americans. One place in particular that consumes large amounts of lutefisk is Madison, Minnesota. In fact, this town has been dubbed, “the “lutefisk capital of the world.” The dish is especially popular among Lutherans. Sons of Norway organizations host annual lutefisk dinners. Lutefisk is also consumed in many parts of Canada.
HOW TO OBSERVE #LutefiskDay
On this day, many people throughout Scandinavia begin preparing their lutefisk so that it’s ready for dinner on Christmas Eve. Even if you’re not Scandinavian you can still participate in this day by:
Reading more about the history and folklore that surrounds lutefisk.
Looking for lutefisk recipes online and learning how to make it.
Learning about the Scandinavian countries.
Attending a lutefisk dinner.
Spread awareness for this food day on social media with #LutefiskDay.
LUTEFISK DAY HISTORY
During the days of the old peasant society in Sweden, it took many days to prepare for Christmas. One of the most popular Christmas dishes was fish. However, due to the icy waters, fresh fish was difficult to catch. Swedes had to make do with dried fish. To make the dried fish edible, they would first bathe it in a solution to soften it. This soaking process usually began on December 9th so that the fish would be the perfect consistency on Christmas Eve. For this reason, December 9th is known as Lutefisk Day. Since Anna is a popular name in Sweden, the day is also referred to as Anna’s Day.
Why eat lutefisk when you can have krumkake?
“...many die-hard Scandinavians still eat lutefisk. It is a Christmas tradition, after all.”
A lump of coal in the stocking wouldn’t suffice?
Not gonna lye, lutefisk isn’t for me.
Never ate the stuff, but I have heard lots of jokes about it. Like the jokes, but think I’ll pass on eating it. I hear it tastes a bit nasty.
https://curbarchive.journalism.wisc.edu/2012/prepare-lutefisk/index.html
" In Norway, the cod is dried out on big racks in open air. It should be cold enough so the cod does not rot, but not so cold that it freezes.
Once the fish is dry, it becomes very leathery. Then the fish is ready to be shipped anywhere.
When you receive the fish, you must first soak the fish in cold water for three to seven days. Keep changing the water, and after a few soakings, you then soak it in a lye solution.
Then you start the water treatment process all over again! Rinse it and soak it for another four to six days, so then it is finally clear of lye."
My father made it several times at Christmas. Served it with potato sausage, potatoes, white sauce. I was not that fond of it. (Was still too young to drink!) I had potato sausage one year at christmas. Was not the same as the sausage as when I was young.
https://preservingthenorthsea.com/2022/10/traditional-lutefisk/
Try some Surstromming. Another Scandinavian fish delicacy. It’s fermentedcsour Baltic herring in cans. Strong aroma.
Mmmmmmm.......still “no.”
Meant to tack this on to the bottom! (Treating Corn with Lye to create Hominy prevent Pellagra.)
(Discussion of history of use of Lye in treating corn including Masa.)
Recipes: (One of several!)
Recipe: Texas Caviar
Helen Corbitt, famed 1950s Neiman Marcus food director, first served what became known as Texas caviar as it spread to party tables across the South. A blend of black-eyed peas, white hominy, peppers, and tomatoes makes a delicious dip for tortilla chips. Green tomatoes and cilantro brighten the dish.
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(Recipe at link...Slide over!)
Sounds dreadful! Not a big fan of fish except salmon and halibut. I can gag them down.
We had a 1975........
“ I hear it tastes a bit nasty.”
It’s probably an acquired taste. I’m sure some of the stuff we eat here on the reservation would be unusual for someone off reservation. But in the case of lutefisk, I’ll take a cheeseburger and fries.
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