Lutefisk (on the upper left side of the plate) as served in a Norwegian restaurant, with potatoes, mashed peas, and bacon.

Lutefisk (lutfisk) (pronounced /lʉːtəfɪsk/ in Norway, /lʉːtfɪsk/ in Sweden and the Swedish-speaking areas in Finland) is a traditional food of the Nordic countries made from stockfish (air-dried whitefish) and soda lye (lut). In Sweden, this food is called lutfisk, omitting the medial 'e'. In Finland the same dish is known as lipeäkala. The direct translation is lye fish, owing to the fact it is made with caustic soda or potash lye. Image File history File linksMetadata Lutefisk. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Lutefisk. ... Articles with similar titles include the NATO phonetic alphabet, which has also informally been called the “International Phonetic Alphabet”. For information on how to read IPA transcriptions of English words, see IPA chart for English. ... Political map of the Nordic countries and associated territories. ... Stockfish is air-dried cod. ... Whitefish (white fish, demersal fish) is a fisheries term referring to several species of oceanic deep water finfish, particularly cod (Gadus morhua), whiting (Merluccius bilinearis), and haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus), but also hake (Urophycis), pollock (Pollachius), or others. ... Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as lye or caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. ... Lye is a caustic solution used for glass and soap making. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ... Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda or lye in North America, is a caustic metallic base used in industry (mostly as a strong chemical base) in the manufacture of paper, textiles, and detergents. ... Potash Potash (or carbonate of potash) is an impure form of potassium carbonate (K2CO3) mixed with other potassium salts. ...

General

Preparation

Lutefisk is made from air-dried whitefish (normally cod, but ling is also used), prepared with lye, in a sequence of particular treatments. The first treatment is to soak the stockfish in cold water for five to six days (changed daily). The saturated stockfish is then soaked in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for an additional two days. The fish will swell during this soaking, regaining a size even bigger than the original (undried) fish, while the protein content decreases by more than 50 percent, causing its famous jelly-like consistency. When this treatment is finished, the fish (saturated with lye) has a pH value of 11–12, and is therefore caustic. To make the fish edible, a final treatment of yet another four to six days of soaking in cold water (also changed daily) is needed. Eventually, the lutefisk is ready to be cooked. the world is coming to the end!!!!! cod is going to eat up alive and do us hard up the emmm. ... Binomial name Molva molva (Linnaeus, 1758) The Ling (Molva molva) is a large member of the Cod family. ... Lye is a caustic solution used for glass and soap making. ... Impact from a water drop causes an upward rebound jet surrounded by circular capillary waves. ... A representation of the 3D structure of myoglobin, showing coloured alpha helices. ... Look up jelly in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The correct title of this article is . ... Causticity is, in chemistry, the property of a substance that causes corrosion, the deterioration of a material. ...

In Finland, the traditional reagent used is birch ash. It contains high amounts of potassium carbonate and hydrocarbonate, giving the fish more mellow treatment than sodium hydroxide (lyestone). It is important not to incubate the fish too long in the lye, because saponification of the fish fats may occur, effectively rendering the fish fats into soap. The term for such spoiled fish in Finnish is saippuakala (soap fish). A reagent or reactant is any substance used in a chemical reaction. ... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... Carbonate of potash redirects here. ... Saponification of a lipid with potassium hydroxide. ...

Cooking

After the preparation, the lutefisk is saturated with water and must therefore be cooked carefully so it does not fall into pieces.

It does not need any additional water for the cooking; it is enough to place it in a pan, salt it, seal the lid tightly, and let it steam cook under a very low heat for 20–25 minutes. It is also possible to do this in the oven. The fish is then put in an ovenproof dish, covered with aluminium foil, and baked at 225 °C (435 °F) for 40–50 minutes. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Another option is to parboil lutefisk. Wrap the lutefisk in cheesecloth and gently boil until tender. This usually takes a very short time, so care must be taken to watch the fish and remove it before it is ready to fall apart. Prepare a white sauce to serve over the lutefisk.

Lutefisk sold in North America may also be cooked in a microwave oven. The average cooking time is 8-10 minutes per whole fish (a package of two fish sides) at high power in a covered glass cooking dish, preferably made of Pyrex or Corningware. The cooking time will vary, depending upon the power of the microwave oven. It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Microwave oven and Microwave heating. ... Pyrex is a brand name of borosilicate glass introduced by Corning Glass Works in 1915. ... Corningware is a brand of tempered glass and ceramic dishes made by Corning Glass Works. ...

NOTE: When cooking and eating lutefisk, it is important to clean the lutefisk and residue off of pans, plates, and utensils right away. Lutefisk left overnight becomes nearly impossible to remove. Sterling silver should never be used in cooking or serving or eating lutefisk as it will permanently ruin silver. Stainless steel cooking, serving and eating utensils are strongly recommended.

Eating

Norwegian Constitution Day dinner in the United States, with lutefisk.

In the Nordic Countries, the "season" for lutefisk starts early in November and is typically served throughout Christmas. Lutefisk is also very popular in Nordic-American areas of the United States, particularly in the Upper Midwest. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1465x1901, 1597 KB) Summary Photo I took 2006-05-17 of a syttende mai dinner in Rochester, Minnesota. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1465x1901, 1597 KB) Summary Photo I took 2006-05-17 of a syttende mai dinner in Rochester, Minnesota. ... The Norwegian Constitution Day is the National Day of Norway and is an official national holiday each year. ... Christmas is an annual holiday that marks the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ...

Lutefisk is usually served with a variety of side dishes, including, but not limited to, bacon, green pea stew, potatoes, meatballs, gravy, mashed rutabaga, white sauce, melted or clarified butter, syrup, geitost (goat cheese), or "old" cheese (gammelost). Especially in the U.S., it is usually eaten with lefse. Even if the common denominator is lutefisk, side dishes vary greatly from family to family and region to region, and is a theme of recurring controversy when different "traditions" of lutefisk-eaters meet and eat together. Look up bacon in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Binomial name Pisum sativum L. A pea is the small, edible round green bean which grows in a pod on the leguminous vine Pisum sativum, or in some cases to the immature pods. ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. ... Swedish meatballs See also meatball (disambiguation) A meatball is a generally spherical mass of ground meat and other ingredients, such as bread or breadcrumbs, minced onion, various spices, and possibly eggs, cooked by frying, baking, steaming, or braising in sauce. ... Gravy is a thickened sauce, usually made from a base of extracts that run from meat and/or vegetables during cooking. ... Binomial name Brassica napobrassica Mill. ... Béchamel Sauce, also known as white sauce, is a basic sauce that is used as the base for other sauces, such as Mornay sauce, which is Béchamel and cheese. ... Clarified butter is butter that has been rendered to separate the milk solids and water from the butter fat. ... Butter is commonly sold in sticks (pictured) or blocks, and frequently served with the use of a butter knife. ... In cooking, a syrup (from Arabic شراب sharab, beverage, via Latin siropus) is a thick, viscous liquid, containing a large amount of dissolved sugars, but showing little tendency to deposit crystals. ... Gudbrandsdalsost Geitost is usually sliced very thinly using a metal cheese slicer. ... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... Gammelost (also gamalost and gammalost), literally old cheese, is a traditional Scandinavian cheese notorious for both its looks and characteristic smell. ... Lefse (pronounced lef-sa) is a traditional soft Scandinavian flatbread made out of potato, milk and flour, and cooked on a griddle. ...

Nowadays, akvavit and beer often accompany the meal due to its use at festive and ceremonial occasions (and most eaters, regardless of side dish preferences, will argue that these beverages complement the meal perfectly). This is a recent invention however; due to its preservative qualities, lutefisk has traditionally been a common "every day" meal in wintertime. A bottle and glass of Linie brand akvavit. ... Beer in the glass Schlenkerla Rauchbier direct from the cask Beer is the worlds oldest[1] and most popular[2] alcoholic beverage; a beverage, it has been argued, which is responsible for humanitys ability to develop technology and build civilisation[3][4][5][6]. It is produced by...

The dish has sometimes subjected Nordic-Americans to jokes about the personality traits suggested by serving chemically-treated white fish with a white sauce. Lutefisk prepared from cod is somewhat notorious, even within Scandinavia, for its intense odor. Conversely, lutefisk prepared from pollock or haddock has almost no odor. But lutefisk has its fair share of devotees: during 2001 Norwegians alone ate a total of 2,055 tonnes of lutefisk in their homes and approximately 560 tonnes in restaurants. (To put this quantity in perspective, 2400 tons would fill approximately 80 full size semi trucks or a medium length goods train). Annual sales of lutefisk in North America exceed those in Norway. the world is coming to the end!!!!! cod is going to eat up alive and do us hard up the emmm. ... Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region centered on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe and includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden. ... Odor receptors on the antennae of a Luna moth An odor or odour (see spelling differences) is a chemical dissolved in air, generally at a very low concentration, which we perceive by the sense of olfaction. ... Species Pollachius pollachius Pollachius virens Pollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. ... Binomial name Melanogrammus aeglefinus (Linnaeus, 1758) The haddock or offshore hake is a marine fish distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... An electric container freight train Freight wagons filled with limestone await unloading, at sidings in Rugby, England An SP freight train west of Chicago in 1992. ...

The taste of well prepared lutefisk is extremely mild and mellow, and often the white sauce is spiced with pepper or other strong tasting spices to bring out the flavour.

Origin

Inception

The issue of how lutefisk was first created is controversial. Some stories tell about fish accidentally dropped in a washing bowl containing lye, and because of poverty the fish had to be eaten. Yet other stories tell about fires of various kinds, because ashes of wood combined with water will create lye. A possible scenario is that drying racks for stockfish caught fire, followed by days of rain, and again, because of poverty, the fish still had to be picked from the ashes, cleaned, prepared, and eaten. It is quite possible the softening with lye, which is actually a fairly common practice with many kinds of food (for example hominy), was deliberate rather than accidental. Hominy or nixtamal is dried, treated maize (corn) kernels. ...

Traces in literature

When people first started eating lutefisk is also controversial. Some enthusiasts claim the tradition goes back to the age of Vikings, other and contrasting views claim that the meal has 16th century Dutch origins. Despite this, it is somewhat commonly agreed that the first written mention of the phenomenon "lutefisk" traces back to a letter from Swedish king Gustav I in 1540, and the first written description of the preparation process is in Swedish archbishop Olaus Magnus's (1490–1557) personal writings from 1555. When it comes to Norwegian traces, author Henry Notaker (in the encyclopedia "Apetittleksikon") claims that the earliest came from the southeastern parts of Norway in the late 18th century. Additionally, a classic Norwegian cookbook ("Hanna Winsnes") from 1845 tells about how to make lye for lutefisk from a combination of birch ash, limestone, and water. The name Viking is a loan from the native Scandinavian term for the Norse seafaring warriors who raided the coasts of Scandinavia, Europe and the British Isles from the late 8th century to the 11th century, the period of European history referred to as the Viking Age. ... Gustav I of Sweden, Gustav Vasa or Gustav Eriksson Vasa (1496 - 1560), became king of Sweden in 1523 and was the first monarch of the house of Vasa. ... Olaus Magnus, or Magni (Magnus, Latin for the Swedish Stora -- great -- is the family name, and not a personal epithet), reported as born in October 1490 in Linköping, and died on August 1, 1557, was a Swedish ecclesiastic and writer, who did pioneering work for the interest of Nordic... Species Many species; see text and classification Birch is the name of any tree of the genus Betula, in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. ... Limey shale overlaid by limestone. ...

A folk tale about the origin of lutefisk says when the Vikings were pillaging Ireland, St. Patrick sent men to pour lye on the store of dried fish on the longships with the hope of poisoning the Vikings and thereby ridding Ireland of these intruders. However, rather than dying of poisoning or starvation, the Vikings declared lutefisk a delicacy. Some Scandinavian descendants claim their strength and longevity are derived from eating lutefisk at least once a year. The term Viking commonly denotes the ship-borne warriors and traders of Norsemen (literally, men from the north) who originated in Scandinavia and raided the coasts of the British Isles and mainland Europe as far east as the Volga River in Russia from the late 8th–11th century. ... Statue of Saint Patrick Saint Patrick (died March 17, 462, 492, or 493), is the patron saint of Ireland. ... The Oseberg longship (Viking Ship Museum, Norway) Oseberg longship from the front, one of the most stunning expressions of Norse art and craftsmanship A longship tacking in the wind Longships were ships primarily used by the Scandinavian Vikings and the Saxons to raid coastal and inland settlements during the European...

Misconception of Norwegians and lutefisk

A misconception originating in the United States is that most Norwegians eat and enjoy lutefisk. In real life lutefisk is more common in the Norwegian-American community than it is among actual modern day Norwegians. For example both Glenwood, Minnesota, and Madison, Minnesota, claim to be the "lutefisk capital of the world." A survey[1] performed by the National Information Office for Meat in Norway claimed that as few as only 2 percent of Norwegians have lutefisk on Christmas Eve (compared to 52 percent who eat rib roast, the most popular Christmas dinner in Norway), while 20 percent eat lutefisk before Christmas. Glenwood is a city located in Pope County, Minnesota. ... Madison is a city located in Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota. ... A slice of prime rib from a standing rib roast, topped (on the right side) with mushrooms. ...

Lutefisk humour

Lutefisk eaters thrive on quotes and jokes from skeptics of lutefisk comparing it to everything from rat poison (which has a hint of truth to it, because of the traces of unnatural amino acid lysinoalanine found in lutefisk due to the reaction with lye) to weapons of mass destruction. A few examples are: A rat in urban environment Rat poisons are a category of pest control chemicals intended to kill rats. ... Phenylalanine is one of the standard amino acids. ... For the album, see Weapons of Mass Destruction (album). ...

• Quote from Garrison Keillor's book Lake Wobegon Days:

"Every Advent we entered the purgatory of lutefisk, a repulsive gelatinous fishlike dish that tasted of soap and gave off an odor that would gag a goat. We did this in honor of Norwegian ancestors, much as if survivors of a famine might celebrate their deliverance by feasting on elm bark. I always felt the cold creeps as Advent approached, knowing that this dread delicacy would be put before me and I’d be told, "Just have a little." Eating a little was like vomiting a little, just as bad as a lot." Garrison Keillor (born Gary Edward Keillor on August 7, 1942) is an American author, humorist, columnist, musician, satirist, and radio personality. ... Lake Wobegon Days, written by Garrison Keillor is a humorous, fictional account of life in small-town Minnesota. ...

• Interview with Jeffrey Steingarten, author of The Man Who Ate Everything (translated quote from a 1999 article in Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet:)

"Lutefisk is not food, it is a weapon of mass destruction. It is currently the only exception for the man who ate everything. Otherwise, I am fairly liberal, I gladly eat worms and insects, but I draw the line on lutefisk."
"What is special with lutefisk?"
"Lutefisk is the Norwegians' attempt at conquering the world. When they discovered that Viking raids didn't give world supremacy, they invented a meal so terrifying, so cruel, that they could scare people to become one's subordinates. And if I'm not terribly wrong, you will be able to do it as well."
"But some people say that they like lutefisk. Do you think they tell the truth?"
"I do not know. Of all food, lutefisk is the only one that I don't take any stand on. I simply cannot decide whether it is nice or disgusting, if the taste is interesting or commonplace. The only thing I know, is that I like bacon, mustard and lefse. Lutefisk is an example of food that almost doesn't taste anything, but is so full of emotions that the taste buds get knocked out." Jeffrey Steingarten is an American lawyer and food critic. ... Dagbladet is Norways third largest newspaper with a circulation of 191,164 copies in 2002. ...

• The Ole and Lena joke books make frequent references to lutefisk, for example:

Well, we tried the lutefisk trick and the raccoons went away, but now we've got a family of Norwegians living under our house! Ole and Lena are characters persistent in jokes by Scandinavian-Americans, dominantly in the Upper Midwest region of the U.S., particularly in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota where Lutherans are common. ...

Or this variation of O Tannenbaum:

O lutefisk, O lutefisk, how pungent your aroma / O lutefisk, O lutefisk, you put me in a coma O Tannenbaum, or, in its English version, O Christmas Tree is a Christmas carol of German origin. ...

Other

• The rocks studied by rovers on the planet Mars are often given humorous names. One that the Spirit rover examined for several days was called Lutefisk.
• In the video game Psychonauts, one of the characters is named Nils Lutefisk, Nils being a common Norwegian name.
• In the episode of King of the Hill entitled "Revenge Of The Lutefisk," the new reverend at the Hills' church, a native of Minnesota, brings a dish of lutefisk to a church potluck. Though the other guests are wary of, even repulsed, by the lutefisk, Bobby Hill tastes it and finds it so irresistible that he takes the whole dish with him under the buffet table and eats it all. After it works its way through him in the church bathroom the next day, his grandfather walks into the bathroom and is repulsed by the smell, and so Bobby uses a match to cover the smell and accidentally lights the church on fire.
• The 1999 film Drop Dead Gorgeous, set in the Midwest, makes a reference to lutefisk. One character mentions that it's best with "lots of butter."
• Lutefisk is also the name of an open-source de novo sequencing package for mass spectrometry data.^[1]
• For a time, there was a Los Angeles, California-based punk rock band called "Lutefisk."
• The Wisconsin Employees' right to know law regarding toxic substances specifically exempts Lutefisk (Wisc. Stat. 101.58(2)(j)(2)(f)^[2])

A Mars Rover is an unmanned land vehicle for exploration of the planet Mars. ... Adjectives: Martian Atmosphere Surface pressure: 0. ... The mission patch for Spirit, featuring Marvin the Martian. ... Psychonauts is a platform game developed by Double Fine Productions, published by Majesco, and released on April 19, 2005, for the Microsoft Xbox, the Sony PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows. ... King of the Hill is a satirical American animated television series created by Mike Judge (creator of Beavis and Butt-head) and Greg Daniels for the FOX Network. ... A potluck or potluck dinner is a gathering of people for a meal where the participants are expected to bring food to be shared among everyone at the gathering. ... Bobby Hill is a common personal name that can refer to different people: Bobby Hill (baseball player) Bobby Hill (Cartoon character in King of the Hill) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Drop Dead Gorgeous was a film originally released in 1999. ... Butter is commonly sold in sticks (pictured) or blocks, and frequently served with the use of a butter knife. ... Mass spectrometry (also known as mass spectroscopy (deprecated)[1] or informally, mass-spec and MS) is an analytical technique used to measure the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42°30N to 47°3N  - Longitude 86°49W to 92°54W Population  Ranked...

Spellings

• Danish: ludfisk or ludefisk
• Norwegian: lutefisk (earlier ludefisk (Danish) spelling still sometimes used in English)
• Swedish: lutfisk
• Finnish: lipeäkala

See also

• Clipfish: Salted dried fish, usually cod.
• Surströmming
• Bacalhau: A Portuguese dish also made of reconstituted dried fish.

Clipfish is salted, whole, dried fish, most often made from cod. ... the world is coming to the end!!!!! cod is going to eat up alive and do us hard up the emmm. ... Surströmming (sour herring) is a Swedish delicacy consisting of fermented Baltic herring. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

References and external links

• The History Of Lutfisk
• Lutefisk for Christmas
• Clay Shirky on eating lutefisk
• Chemistry of Lutefisk (in Swedish)
• Lutefisk Lament, Boone & Erickson

Notes

1. ^ Lutefisk software accessed 2006-08-08
2. ^ 2005–2006, "Regulation of Industry, Buildings, and Safety", Wisconsin Statutes 101.58 (2): 40