Okay, so let me tell you about my lutefisk dinner adventure this year in Minnesota. It’s a tradition, you know? Some love it, some hate it, but everyone’s got an opinion. I’m in the ‘try it every year and see if I suddenly like it’ camp.
First things first, I had to find a lutefisk dinner. A lot of churches and Scandinavian cultural centers put them on around this time of year. I checked online, saw a couple of options, and picked one that was relatively close and had a good reputation. This year I went with the one over in the next town.
Got there, paid my dues at the door. The place was packed. Like, seriously packed. Mostly older folks, lots of sweaters with Nordic patterns, you get the picture. There was a serious buzz in the air, a mix of anticipation and maybe a little dread for some of the newbies.
Then came the food. The lutefisk, of course, was the star. It’s this gelatinous, kind of wobbly white fish. It’s made by soaking dried whitefish in lye. Yeah, lye. Sounds appetizing, right? But hey, gotta respect the tradition.
They serve it with melted butter (lots of butter!), white sauce, and lefse. Lefse is like a soft, flat potato bread. I’m a big fan of lefse, so that’s always a plus. They also had mashed potatoes, gravy, meatballs, and some other sides. It was a real Scandinavian feast.
So, I piled my plate high, making sure to get a generous portion of lutefisk. Took a deep breath, and dove in. Okay, here’s the verdict: It’s still… interesting. The texture is kind of weird, like eating Jell-O but it’s fish. The taste is pretty mild, mostly just butter and whatever sauce you put on it. Not offensive, just… unique.
I ate it all, though. Gotta be polite, and you know, I was kinda hungry anyway. The meatballs were pretty good, and I went back for seconds on the lefse. Chatting with the people at my table was probably the best part. Everyone had a story about lutefisk, either a fond memory or a hilarious disaster.
After dinner, there was some singing and a raffle. I didn’t win anything, but it was fun to watch. Overall, it was a solid lutefisk dinner experience. Would I go again next year? Probably. It’s more about the tradition and the community than the actual lutefisk itself, you know?
So, that was my lutefisk adventure for 2023. Still haven’t acquired a taste for the fish, but I’m getting there. Maybe next year will be the year I finally become a convert.
