O Lutefisk! Oh. Lutefisk.

julen — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 12:36:54 -0800

O Lutfisk, O Lutefisk!. Also known as lipeäkala, this dried white fish once saturated with lye is a traditional dish in both Nordic countries and in much of the upper Midwest of America and the plains region of Canada. Sounds tasty, right? Let this article describe the experience of countless kids faced with this dish each Christmas Eve before you sign up for a Lutefisk Eating Contest (scroll for video!) in Ballard, WA. The history of this medieval dish is murky and filled with mythologies and tall tales; for Americans of Scandinavian descent, it is a symbol of humor, pride, and sometimes revulsion, so it's no surprise that someone rewrote Twas the Night before Christmas as The Lutefisk Lament. In fact, it is commonly repeated as a fact on many Lutefisk web pages that more Americans of Norwegian descent eat Lutefisk than actual Norwegians do. You could make it in the traditional way, watch someone prepare it, or you can download a handy PDF chart of all the places an American Lutefisk Lover can go to get your fix - whether you are in Wisconsin or California or anywhere else. Or, you could just make plans now for the next Lutefisk Festival in July in Madison, MN, the Lutefisk Capital of the U.S. (Glenwood, MN claims the same thing, even though they have to borrow the Lou T. Fisk statue from Madison for their parades). If eating it is absolutely not for you, there's always the Lutefisk Toss during the Heritage Days in Two Harbors, MN.

Faen!

languagehat — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 08:19:51 -0800

Faen! (SLYT) Will teach you a useful Norwegian swear word. Warning: will offend Finns, who will find their own favorite curse mocked, and annoy Danes, who will find that the dapper hat-wearing, glasses-doffing Norwegian mispronounces their favorite curse word. (NSFW: Much cursing in English and various Scandinavian languages; brief image of copulating turtles.)

MetaFilter posts tagged with Scandinavian

O Lutefisk! Oh. Lutefisk.

Faen!