In Minnesota there are lots and lots of Lutherans of Norwegian Heritage. [View all]

During the Christmas season, many Lutheran churches host Lutefisk dinners in the church basement or community room. It's a tradition. Lutefisk is lye-cured, dried codfish that is soaked in multiple changes of water, before being boiled until it turns into fish jelly. That process is accompanied by an unmistakable aroma that seeps into the cracks and can be detected months after the meal. I have eaten Lutefisk, because my wife's family is of Norwegian extraction. Served with enough butter, it is somewhat edible. Seconds, however, are unthinkable.

In reality, nobody likes Lutefisk. It's poverty food, a last resort meal for the middle of winter when no other edible substances are available. That does not stop Americans of Norwegian ancestry from making it into a tradition, however. If you go to a Lutefisk dinner, you are advised to accept only a very small piece, and to load your plate with the meatballs in gravy that are also available. Really.

Lutefisk is universally known as:

"The Piece of Cod that Passeth All Understanding"

A Christmas message from MineralMan - Norwegian by Marriage