Wednesday, Jan. 24, 1951: No smell test for lutefisk
Posted on September 21st, 2005 – 1:06 AMBy Ben Welter
Minneapolis Star editors used a funny-looking spelling (ludefisk) for Scandinavia’s funny-smelling food (lutefisk) in this page one story from January 1951:
SCIENCE TO DECIDE
Smell Ruled Out
as Test of Good
or Bad Ludefisk
District Judge William C. Larson admitted today there is no way to tell good ludefisk from bad by smell alone — and he put the problem squarely up to the bacteriologists at University of Minnesota.
The question came before the judge when two ludefisk — one, unquestionably good, the other, allegedly bad — were brought into his courtroom within sniffing distance.
They were designated as Exhibit 2 in the case of Ivan Bogen, representing the InterState Brokerage Co., versus Olsen Fish Co., 815 5th street N.
Bogen was demanding payment of $1,396.18 as balance of his bill for delivering 47 bales of “dry stock fish” to the Olsen firm in November, 1948.
The fish company rejected the shipment on the ground the fish were spoiled and declined to pay.
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| There wasn’t much to smile about in a 1950s lutefisk factory. Arthur Boscher, left, and David Arneson of Lyon Food Products hoisted some slimy goodness. (Minneapolis Star photo by Jack Gillis) |
2 Responses to "Wednesday, Jan. 24, 1951: No smell test for lutefisk"
If you worked in a lutefisk factory all day long, you probably wouldn’t be smiling either.
My first job after returning from military service in WWII was as a salesman for a food company. My territory included many towns in southeastern Minnesota including Rushford and Lanesboro. I called on grocery stores in the area. Often times during the coldest part of the winter the grocers would place baskets of frozen lutefisk on the sidewalk next to the storefront. I often noticed that there were no animal control laws in these towns and dogs roamed freely. N ow it certainly seems possible that some of those dogs would probably lift a leg on the baskets. I doubt that this could have damaged the lutefisk. In fact, having smelled lutefisk cooking, it probably inproved the taste. Most non-Scandinavian, God fearing people turned green and fainted at the odor of lutefisk cooking.
