Lutefisk

[June Pelo Senior Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close June Pelo]

Here we are in the Christmas season and no one has mentioned Lutefisk! Remember this, sung to the tune of "Oh, Christmas Tree."

O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk

O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk,
how fragrant your aroma;
O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk,
you put me in a coma.
You smell so strong,
you look like glue;
You taste yust ike an overshoe.
But Lutefisk, come Saturday
I tink I'll eat you anyway.

A dog came by and sprinkled you--
I hit him vid an army shoe.
O Lutefisk - now I suppose,
I'll eat you as I hold my nose.

O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk,
how vell I do remember:
On Christmas Eve, how ve'd receive
our big treat of December.
It vasn't turkey or fried ham -
It vasn't even spickled spam.
My mudder knew dere vas no risk
in serving buttered Lutefisk.

O Lutefisk, O Lutefisk,
- now everyone discovers
Dat Lutefisk and lefse makes
Norvegians better lovers.
Now all da vorld can have a ball -
You're better dan dat Yeritol.
O Lutefisk - vid brennevin
you make me feel like young again.

(Obviously this was written by a Norvegian - Finlanders don't serve Lutefisk with butter or lefse.)

[cdahlin Registered Find all posts View Profile Close cdahlin]

Hi!

I agree with much of the description of "Lutefisk". It has never been my favourite Christmas food, but I try to eat a little bit every year.

In my childhood days Mum bought dry "Lutefisk" and put it in water and "soda" to prepare it for Christmas.

[June Pelo Senior Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close June Pelo]

Lutefisk

When I was growing up the only way Lutefisk was sold was as a hard dried fish that had to be soaked in water for about a week before it was cooked. Now it can be purchased frozen, ready to cook. Sadly, it isn't sold in my town - not enough Scandinavians here, I guess. I remember reading that fish markets in Duluth literally sell tons of it at Christmas-time. My father and brother ate many servings of it, so we had to cook a lot of it, along with lots of potatoes and white sauce.