A Fishy Tradition | Video

Amy Fox | 9/28/2012

You can smell it from miles away. While Lutefisk is one of the most well-known dishes at Hostfest, it`s also gotten some mixed reviews. What exactly is lutefisk? Well, we wanted to find out.

"It`s been a traditional Norwegian fish that they have,” said Bethany Lutheran Church volunteer Larry Waltors. “It`s caught in the ocean. It`s a cod and then it`s prepared. We get it in a fillet that`s maybe about this long. We cut it up into pieces that are serving size and have prepared it with a steamed kettle that takes about 5 minutes to cook thoroughly."

While the strong odor sends some away, people like Elaine Thompson gave it a try.

"Well, everybody talks about how awful it is,” said Thompson. “And then, they`re surprised at how many hands go up if they`ve tried it and like it. So no, I`m really curious."

After tasting it for herself, Thompson weighs in on lutefisk.

"It`s good. It`s not as fishy as it could be."

But, for lutefisk enthusiast, like Ivan Larson, he’s hooked.

"To me, it`s very good. I`ve eaten it all my life even my kids eat it."

Now, experts say the best way to eat lutefisk is with butter and a little bit of salt and pepper.

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