THE STRANGE THING THAT IS LUTEFISK

[Subdeacon Joe]

 

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Håkon B. Vinje  · 2 days ago  · 

 

 

THE STRANGE THING THAT IS LUTEFISK

- Dissecting a dish –

Let us all agree on one thing: Lutefisk is STOCKFISH. It plain and simply is. So, it begs the question, how did lutefisk become a thing of its own. Now, that story is a bit more complicated.

No one knows where lutefisk came from, or who invented it. We have no records and only a very few clues. We have a rough time estimate, but that is all.

STOCKFISH is wind and weather-dried cod (usually), or ling or tusk. It is caught in the wintertime and left to dry on racks from February until May. This happens in the near-Arctic regions of Northern Norway. It is possible to do it further south as well, but the earlier onset of spring makes it a risk as the fish may rot instead of dry. Stockfish is the single most important item to come out of Norway ever. From the 700s until the 1800s, stockfish was the number one export article from Norway, and a sizeable portion of the national budget. Stockfish is an integral part of Spanish, Portuguese, and (especially) Italian cuisine, as well as those of Brazil, Ghana, and Nigeria. All because of the abundance of cod in Northern Norway, and Norwegians' willingness to sail, and bring this commodity to foreign shores. This was again religious, as there was no meat of Fridays, and the Church year had many fasting days. The Norwegians were more than happy to help the continentals out by providing a long-lasting fish.

So, what is LUTEFISK then? Well, stockfish, being a valuable commodity, falls into different categories based on quality. Because quality determines price. Lutefisk lovers naturally assume their lutefisk is made from the highest quality stockfish. Unfortunately, they could not be more wrong. You see, stockfish is graded by how easily it can be reconstituted (into something that resembles cod…) by soaking it in water, and/or butter and water. There are 20 different gradations of stockfish (leave this part to the experts). Lutefisk comes out on the bottom.

Because – sometimes low-grade stockfish comes out so hard and dry, simply soaking or boiling it will not make it soft. This fish could either be discarded, thrown away, or treated in some fashion to make it edible.

Enter lye – or sodium hydroxide if you want. We do not know where and when, or by whom, this happened, but someone figured out they could soften the remaining stockfish by soaking it in lye first. We also know this technique had been used in the Rhine Valley (to overdried fish and meat) many centuries before it was applied to cod in Scandinavia. There is no way to tell for certain, but it might be a clue as to where the idea came from.

Sodium hydroxide breaks down the protein chains and gives the fish its characteristic smell and consistency. It makes it soft and edible. It also adds flavor (cod is a rather bland fish). The lye is long since washed out before the preparation begins, so there is no chance of poisoning, and it has become a cherished meal for many.

So, how can we know this? We can only assume. In the earliest (Medieval) records we have of the stockfish export (from Bergen), there is no mention of it. The first ever mention is from a royal banquet in Sweden in 1555, where some prominent Dutch merchants are treated to it. This may have been because it was considered a delicacy at the court, or as a consideration for the guests. The latter would suggest they were familiar with it or were indeed the providers of it. We do not know. A plausible hypothesis suggests this was a new way to reconstitute the fish faster and more efficiently (despite the lye depleting 50% of the protein), as it required less cooking and preparation.

What makes this plausible, are two factors: The traditional recipients of stockfish (France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy) still required only the higher gradation of stockfish and were never interested in this new method. Second – lutefisk was never a national phenomenon in Norway. It was traditionally eaten in the inner valleys of the country, where a generally poorer segment of the population – without access to freshly caught fish – lived. These also happened to represent a huge portion of the emigrants. Along most of the coast – a population that represents a much smaller percentage of emigrants – they had access to fresh fish and did not know about lutefisk, or if they did, they eschewed it (as peasant food).

We do not know the origins of lutefisk. It is not mentioned in Norway until around 1800, so it is not an ancient phenomenon. Why it has retained such popularity among Norwegian-Americans, and not in Norway, is anyone’s guess. My guess is simply nostalgia. And the fact a lot of immigrants hail from areas where the only way of eating sea-caught fish, what to endure lye-soaked cod from up North.

 

 

 

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                               ................. pass  🤢

[Subdeacon Joe]

1 minute ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                               ................. pass  🤢

 

You could put pineapple and Vegimite on it.

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

Just now, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

You could put pineapple and Vegimite on it.

 

 

   ......... I earnestly don't think it'd help, ...... that stuff is beyond redemption ......  🤢

[Rip Snorter]

Funny story - single, just transferred to MN with a good job.  Didn't know anyone, so tried one of these singles deals - I don't believe it was online, in those days, if I recall, you filled out a questionnaire and sent it in.  You got back a couple of names and numbers where your criteria matched theirs.  Anyway, picked up a pleasant enough attractive gal and took her to a nice restaurant for a first date.  I was also into local food in those days and ordered Lutefisk.  She absolutely freaked out, apparently beyond her comprehension that I would do that, and then eat it.  Never saw her again after that date.  The fish?  Remember the  "Well you can live on it" quote from Crocodile Dundee?

[Pat Riot]

HOLY CRAP! I swear. Yesterday I was thinking “How long before Lutefisk becomes a topic of discussion in the Saloon again?” 
 

No! I will not be partaking. 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

1 hour ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

 

You could put pineapple and Vegimite on it.

 

1 hour ago, Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 said:

 

 

   ......... I earnestly don't think it'd help, ...... that stuff is beyond redemption ......  🤢

The Vegemite?

[Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062]

 

 

 

 

 

 

  .... yeah, ....... that too   🤐

[Three Foot Johnson]

My Norwegian maternal grandmother used to make lutefisk for the holidays... God, I hated going there for Christmas dinner as a kid. 

[watab kid]

never found it appealing but the leftsa i like 

[Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984]

The Portuguese also fished for cod in the North Atlantic. Instead of long dry winters they used salt to preserve the fish. The result Salt cod also needs soaking before using.

[Sedalia Dave]

After watching how Stockfish is prepared.....

 

 

 

I think I'll stick with Vegemite coated Pineapple rings. 

[Dapper Dave]

Legalize lutefisk! 
Sorry, never actually had it, but lefse and futtingmon were popular in Grandma's house. Not sure about the spelling on the last one, a fried sugared desert "cookie". Grandpa always called lefse "limp Norwegian dishrags". Since his parents came from Oslo, I suppose he had the right.   I love 'em.

[Subdeacon Joe]

19 hours ago, Dapper Dave said:

Legalize lutefisk! 
Sorry, never actually had it, but lefse and futtingmon were popular in Grandma's house. Not sure about the spelling on the last one, a fried sugared desert "cookie". Grandpa always called lefse "limp Norwegian dishrags". Since his parents came from Oslo, I suppose he had the right.   I love 'em.

 

 

These?

 

https://northwildkitchen.com/fattigmann-poor-man-cookies/

 

 

[Dapper Dave]

That's the one!