Lutefisk is sinister food at Christmas

December 14, 11:17 AMSouth St. Paul ExaminerRob Shirk

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Lutefisk Racks

For all of the goodness and joy the Christmas season brings to millions, there is a dark, sinister side to the holiday if you're from the upper midwest.

Wikipedia gives a detailed history of Lutefisk for the uninitiated. Colorado may have their offal, as Richard Taylor in Denver has written. We have Lutefisk.

Well, we tried the lutefisk trick and the raccoons went away, but now we've got a family of Norwegians living under our house!

The very name for most conjures up dread and horror at the thought of consuming such a thing. It is, served, in the traditional fashion, as a dried or salted whitefish soaked in a potash or soda lye. It is not to be taken lightly in the cooking, for if not done properly the stuff will either kill you or disintegrate into soap.

Lutefisk "season" usually starts in November and extends through Christmas in the Nordic Countries and the heritage in the upper midwest, being what it is, celebrates this time of year with lutefisk feeds as well as a Christmas seasonal dish. Glenwood, Minnesota, just up the road from South St. Paul and the Twin Cities, claims the mantel of Lutefisk Capital of the World, a dubious distinction for most of us. Madison, MN also claims the title and they're pretty posessive about it.

I’d be told, "Just have a little." Eating a little was like vomiting a little, just as bad as a lot."- Garrison Keillor

The history of Lutefisk may date back as far as the Vikings, the European kind, not the Minnesota Vikings NFL kind. It is generally served with lefse, meatballs, bacon, green pea stew, or mashed rutebaga, but the side dishes vary greatly from household to household. It's a pretty good bet that the Obamas have not tried this delicacy, though as they make their way to the White House it may cement an already solid political base among the taciturn populace of the upper midwest.

Lutefisk. It's an item that will put the fear of God in you, thereby making Christmas all that more memorable and spiritual.