The Lutefisk Song
Melody: Oh Christmas Tree
Lutefisk... 0 Lutefisk... how fragrant your aroma
0 Lutefisk... 0 Lutefisk... You put me, in a coma
You smell so strong... You look like glue
You taste yust like an overshoe
But Lutefisk ... come Saturday
I tink I'll eat you anyway.
Lutefisk ... 0 Lutefisk ... I put you by the doorway
I vanted you to ripen up ...
yust like dey do in Norway
A dog came by and sprinkled you ...
I hit him vit an army shoe
0 Lutefisk ... now I suppose I'll eat you as I hold my nose.
Lutefisk ... 0 Lutefisk ... how well I do remember
On Christmas Eve how we'd receive ...
our big treat of December
It vasn't turkey or fried ham ...
it vasn't even pickled spam
My mudder knew dere vas no risk ...
In serving buttered lutefisk.
Lutefisk ... 0 Lutefisk ... now everyone discovers
Dat Lutefisk and lefse makes-
Norweigians better lovers
Now all da vorld can have a ball ...
you're better dan dat Yeritol
0 Lutefisk ... vit *brennevin
You make me feel like Errol Flynn.
Lutefisk ... O lutefisk ... You have a special flavor
Lutefisk ... O lutefisk ... All good Norwegians savor.
That slimy slab we know so well ...
Identified by ghastky smell Lutefisk ...
O lutefisk ... Our loyalty won't waver.
It is said that St. Patrick drove the Norwegians out of Ireland. It seems that some centuries ago, many Norwegians came to Ireland to escape the bitterness of the Norwegian winter. Ireland was having a famine at the time, and food was scarce. The Norwegians were eating almost all the fish caught in the area, leaving the Irish with nothing to eat but potatoes.
St. Patrick, taking matters into his own hands, as most Irishmen do, decided the Norwegians had to go. Secretly, he organized an army to rid Ireland of Norwegians. Irish members passed a law in Ireland that prohibited merchants from selling ice boxes or ice to the Norwegians, in hopes that their fish would spoil. This would force the Norwegians to flee to a colder climate where their fish would keep.
Well, the fish spoiled, all right, but the Norwegians, as every one knows today, thrive on spoiled fish. So, faced with failure, the desperate Irishmen sneaked into the Norwegian fish storage caves in the dead of night and sprinkled the rotten fish with lye, hoping to poison the Norwegian invaders. But, as everyone knows, the Norwegians thought this only added to the flavor of the fish, and they liked it so much they decided to call it "lutefisk", which is Norwegian for "luscious fish". Believe it or not!
Lutefisk is prepared in the best Scandinavian tradition--boil 20 minutes, in salt water, in a 10 pound flour sack and serve with melted butter or white gravy.. Some served it with mashed peas.
MAKE SURE THE GRAVY IS WHITE TO GO WITH THE WHITE FISH, WHITE LEFSE, AND WHITE POTATOES.
Did your family eat this? The Trinity Lutheran Church of Thief River Falls sponsored a Boy Scout Troop. Every year, this troop would hold a Lutefisk dinner. They also served meatballs. I remember not wanting to go. I remember crying about it. Daddy told me they had meatballs too, so it wasn’t so bad. When we got to the church, they were out of meatballs. My eyes were burning from the odor AND crying. Daddy led me down the steps and we went to the Rex Café for supper.
*brennevin is a general term for distilled beverages made from potatoes or grain, which may or may not be flavored. The line translated means "with spirits".
e
Melody: Oh Christmas Tree
Lutefisk... 0 Lutefisk... how fragrant your aroma
0 Lutefisk... 0 Lutefisk... You put me, in a coma
You smell so strong... You look like glue
You taste yust like an overshoe
But Lutefisk ... come Saturday
I tink I'll eat you anyway.
Lutefisk ... 0 Lutefisk ... I put you by the doorway
I vanted you to ripen up ...
yust like dey do in Norway
A dog came by and sprinkled you ...
I hit him vit an army shoe
0 Lutefisk ... now I suppose I'll eat you as I hold my nose.
Lutefisk ... 0 Lutefisk ... how well I do remember
On Christmas Eve how we'd receive ...
our big treat of December
It vasn't turkey or fried ham ...
it vasn't even pickled spam
My mudder knew dere vas no risk ...
In serving buttered lutefisk.
Lutefisk ... 0 Lutefisk ... now everyone discovers
Dat Lutefisk and lefse makes-
Norweigians better lovers
Now all da vorld can have a ball ...
you're better dan dat Yeritol
0 Lutefisk ... vit *brennevin
You make me feel like Errol Flynn.
Lutefisk ... O lutefisk ... You have a special flavor
Lutefisk ... O lutefisk ... All good Norwegians savor.
That slimy slab we know so well ...
Identified by ghastky smell Lutefisk ...
O lutefisk ... Our loyalty won't waver.
It is said that St. Patrick drove the Norwegians out of Ireland. It seems that some centuries ago, many Norwegians came to Ireland to escape the bitterness of the Norwegian winter. Ireland was having a famine at the time, and food was scarce. The Norwegians were eating almost all the fish caught in the area, leaving the Irish with nothing to eat but potatoes.
St. Patrick, taking matters into his own hands, as most Irishmen do, decided the Norwegians had to go. Secretly, he organized an army to rid Ireland of Norwegians. Irish members passed a law in Ireland that prohibited merchants from selling ice boxes or ice to the Norwegians, in hopes that their fish would spoil. This would force the Norwegians to flee to a colder climate where their fish would keep.
Well, the fish spoiled, all right, but the Norwegians, as every one knows today, thrive on spoiled fish. So, faced with failure, the desperate Irishmen sneaked into the Norwegian fish storage caves in the dead of night and sprinkled the rotten fish with lye, hoping to poison the Norwegian invaders. But, as everyone knows, the Norwegians thought this only added to the flavor of the fish, and they liked it so much they decided to call it "lutefisk", which is Norwegian for "luscious fish". Believe it or not!
Lutefisk is prepared in the best Scandinavian tradition--boil 20 minutes, in salt water, in a 10 pound flour sack and serve with melted butter or white gravy.. Some served it with mashed peas.
MAKE SURE THE GRAVY IS WHITE TO GO WITH THE WHITE FISH, WHITE LEFSE, AND WHITE POTATOES.
Did your family eat this? The Trinity Lutheran Church of Thief River Falls sponsored a Boy Scout Troop. Every year, this troop would hold a Lutefisk dinner. They also served meatballs. I remember not wanting to go. I remember crying about it. Daddy told me they had meatballs too, so it wasn’t so bad. When we got to the church, they were out of meatballs. My eyes were burning from the odor AND crying. Daddy led me down the steps and we went to the Rex Café for supper.
*brennevin is a general term for distilled beverages made from potatoes or grain, which may or may not be flavored. The line translated means "with spirits".
e
No comments:
Post a Comment