Lutefisks

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A traditional Scandinavian dish made from dried whitefish soaked in lye and water to rehydrate and soften it, then rinsed and cooked for eating
2. A preserved fish specialty involving treating dried cod with an alkaline solution to create a gelatinous texture before preparing it as a distinctive meal
3. A culinary preparation popular in Nordic countries where dried fish undergoes lye treatment to remove moisture and alter texture, followed by cooking for consumption

Etymology: "Lutefisks" is simply the plural of "lutefisk," a dish of dried cod (or sometimes other whitefish) soaked in a solution of lye, the alkaline substance that gives the fish its gelatinous texture. The word comes from Norwegian "lutefisk," with a close cousin in Swedish, "lutfisk." Both languages built the term from two parts: "lute" or "lut," meaning lye, and "fisk," meaning fish, so the name literally describes the fish as lye-treated. The plural form appears mostly in discussions of multiple servings or varieties of the dish, which is why it sounds slightly unusual to English ears. In everyday speech, "lutefisk" is used as both the singular and the collective noun, much as "fish" often is.

Synonyms: lutefisk