KINGMAN, Alta. – To Larry Berglind, the pale slabs of jelly-like fish piled high on his plate taste like Christmas.
Lutefisk, the dried cod delicacy reconstituted in lye and water, may smell like old socks and turn silver forks blue, but it’s been a Christmas tradition for Swedes and Norwegians across the Prairies for years.
“It’s part of a whole lot of good memories for me,” said Berglind, before digging into a plate full of lutefisk, mashed potatoes, Swedish meatballs, salads and homemade lefse at the 46th annual lutefisk supper in Kingman. “It’s Christmas for me.”
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Berglind, who grew up in Swift Current, Sask., ate lutefisk each Christmas eve, as did other Scandinavian families. Every December he travels to Kingman, a tiny village southeast of Edmonton, for his annual feed of lutefisk.
“It’s an acquired taste,” said Berglind. “It’s like an olive or coffee. Who likes those the first time?”
When asked to describe the taste, most people are lost for words. Lutefisk has no strong taste and is usually eaten swimming in melted butter or white sauce and peppered with allspice. If there’s no taste, it generally means more butter is needed.
Before the annual dinner, Jim Otto of Kingman drove his truck to southern Alberta to pick up 750 pounds of lutefisk for the event, believed to be the largest lutefisk supper in the province. It was originally a nod to Norwegian and Swedish settlers in the area, but has become an important fundraiser for the community.
Hundreds of volunteers make more than 400 rounds of lefse, the traditional Scandinavian flatbread for the meal. They also bake pies, make salads, cook 100 lb. of meatballs, set tables, mash potatoes and take turns cooking the fish.
Organizer Colleen Wenger said the lutefisk supper should raise about $2,500 to fix the outdoor skating rink and build a new community hall.
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