Lutefisk dinner in all its glory

On Friday, November 2, I did my annual Norwegian thing and went to the lutefisk dinner at Lakeview Lutheran church in Madison. This is the third year that I’ve attended the dinner, yet I still have the same two questions when I open the door: first, what is that smell? The after I remember that it’s the lutefisk, the second question is: how do they get the smell out of the church in time for the Sunday services? I’m still not sure what the answer to that one is – do they open the windows and use fans to move the air? Do they burn a lot of pine-scented candles?

In the photo above, starting at 12 o’clock and moving clockwise, we have: home made lefse (very good as always), Swedish meatballs and gravy, lutefisk with melted butter and coleslaw. Thankfully the smell of the lutefisk is much worse than the taste. In fact is doesn’t taste like much of anything; it’s like a grayish-white fishy jello. The approved way of eating it is to put on some melted butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Lutefisk is mentioned in the Wisconsin statutes, please see section 101.58(2)(j)2f where we are told that toxic substances do not include lutefisk.