Delicacies

I have not tasted any of Norway’s most beloved delicacies, so therefore, I’ve not written about them.  I always want a little personal experience thrown into what I write, so this subject has yet to be covered.  But recently I was chastised for not mentioning a word about lutefisk, rakfisk, lungemos or blodpudding.  Honestly, I feel these things are best not talked about, but now I must.

Most of Norway’s delicacies were once considered poor people’s foods, but lately their status has been elevated. 

Lutefisk is the most well known and loved delicacy from Norway.  It’s cod soaked in lye, then dried hard as a rock.  It’s rehydrated and steamed and looks an awful lot like fish jello when served.  It smells so bad I’ve never wanted to take a bite, but many Norwegians love that stuff.  It’s served at Christmas or on special occasions.  I’ve managed to let the plate slide right on by every time it’s come my way.  I like my fish a little fresher.

Blodpudding is just wrong, in my opinion.  It was eaten a lot during the war as it’s so high in protein, and cheaply made.  I’m wondering who figured out if they mix pig’s blood, milk, rye flour, lard, onion and a few spices, they’d have something to eat for dinner.  They certainly must have been hungry folks.

Lungemos is another one of those who-thought-of-this-one kind of foods.  It’s basically a mash-up of the lungs of whatever animal is being butchered.  It comes in a tube like Jimmy Dean sausage and is fried up the same.  Spam comes to mind, but I’ve never eaten that either, so I’m not going near lungemos.

Of course, pickled pig’s feet are a treat, as is sheep’s head and sheep’s testicles, but I think some folks in America eat those too, so I can’t fault the Norwegians. There’s a Norwegian expression to describe the experience of eating these foods and it literally translates as “piggly good.”

One Norwegian cousin, upon hearing I’d never ventured down these delicacy paths, invited us over to taste rakfisk.  I knew it was fish, so I figured it couldn’t be too bad.  Well, I was wrong. 

Rakfisk is an ancient recipe that starts with raw trout covered in salt, then burying it for several months until it rots.  The fish then spreads like butter and is eaten on bread.  I had no idea what I was in for. 

When we walked in the house it was filled with the worst aroma I’ve ever encountered.  It didn’t smell fishy, it smelled like something died - or should have.  The table was set in Norwegian style with all the accouterments for a classic Norsk meal.  Our hostess took the first bite and then declared the fish had stood too long in the freezer and it tasted a bit freezer burnt, so it wasn’t fit for eating.  She was disappointed.  I was relieved.  I immediately wondered how she could possibly tell it had gone bad.