Lutefisk and other Norwegian Traditional Curiosities

Another glorious hike we took yesterday led me to this stunning view of the mountains and valley we live around in these here parts:

At one point it got a bit treacherous and I found myself reduced to a quivering helpless baby as I clung to rocks around me, sweaty hands and all, looking to either side and viewing a drop that could easily have resulted in 'the end' of Katy Gunn.. My boyfriend helped me up without any fear and once in a safe location I proceeded to cry as I expunged the panic attack I repressed while climbing. Still, ALL WORTH IT. :)

As I look down from the cliff top, I see water so clear and blue it makes me want to dive down and swim around in it. Norwegians obviously love their nature too. The mountain behind our apartment is visited daily by locals who climb to the top as part of their weekly (if not daily) exercise. We passed an older gentleman in his late 60s hiking down the long trail we did - roughly a 6 hour hike - wow. I can only hope my body is in such good working order at his age. Norwegians clearly have a true love for nature and the experience of being out in it. Their traditions have also grown out of the environment in some curious ways. 

There is tradition in culture, and then there is the evolution that takes us beyond that, bringing new practices into place. Both, I believe are important. Tradition reminds us that humans have been through a lot, and a ritual has been created to remind us of what is important. This serves us for both psychological and emotional reasons I find, and we are losing connection with tradition more and more as technology invades every aspect of our lives. Evolution of tradition also breaks us free of old mind-sets, moving us into an improved, more forward-thinking future as a species. This is essential to better living and I'm behind it all the way.

And on that note, I will now bring up Lutefisk. People from Minnesota with a Scandinavian background are sure to chuckle as I write this or at the very least know what I speak of. For centuries Norwegians have dried cod - as did the other Scandinavians - and have eaten Lutefisk. But Lutefisk is not dried cod. Lutefisk is the result of a process involving cod that frankly, I do not find so appealing :) First you take the dry cod - then you soak it - a LOT - for days in water. Then you soak it again in a water and lye solution for several MORE days until it loses half its protein content resulting in a sort of gelatinous meat state. Soak again in water. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but I have to, because this is the process. Mmmmmmm. By the way - Lutefisk is the result of all this soaking and that is how you buy it from the grocer. This is not a process I would recommend trying at home. :)

Should I try preparing this 'fish' with some sort of side? My boyfriend wrinkles his nose and shakes his head 'no'. I'm inclined to follow his lead. How did Scandinavians come up with this one? There are many folk tales involving vikings, etc. as to why the fish met the lye solution resulting in this. None of them are known to be true. :) I AM curious how this came about, but for now it is a mystery. I think I'd rather try and catch a fish - a practice I find many other Norwegians doing on the beaches here in Andalsnes. 

Dried and salted cod or 'Klippfisk' as Norwegians call it is made here and exported - Spain consumes a lot of it - I remember eating many 'bacalao' dishes while I was in Sevilla (dried cod in a tomato sauce). Dried cod has apparently been on the market for over 500 years, although now due to overfishing, other white fish have replaced it somewhat (stockfish). Traditionally the fish was hung in droves near the sea and dried in the open air. Then came the salt to make it tastier, and now it is often dried in an electrically heated room (hello technology). It is used in a variety of world cuisines - Jamaican, Portuguese, Brazilian, Spanish dishes… The Norwegians are famous for exporting it. 

Of course, being in a small village it appears my options are limited in terms of getting a variety of fresh fish, which is a big part of Norwegian cuisine. If you go to other coastal cities (Sandefjord, Trondheim, Bergen, Oslo, etc.)  I'm sure there is more to choose from. So far, it appears that Norwegian cuisine, like many others I have tried, is based first on the fundamental fresh foods found or farmed here in nature - the fish, berries  (we picked wild blueberries on our hike up the mountain), plants, animals that appear and then altered slightly (cured meat, or dried fish), then put into dishes. As with any culture that is lifted up economically, many more creative versions of traditional cuisine appear, and I'm certain I will run into those as I branch out to other locations. 

For now, I'm content having my summery open-faced sandwiches for lunch - smoked Mackerel with pepper and chili flakes with tomato, or salmon with fresh goat cheese and cucumber, dill on top, shrimp sandwich, etc. - a good break from songwriting, indeed. Above all the big message staying here has been NATURE - soak it in. Get outside - breathe the fresh air, eat the fresh food around you and enjoy the glorious view. Heaven I tell you. :)