Norwegian food stores?
John S. Watson
in the bay area?
I'm looking for a place that sells "Rakfisk",
their version of fermented salmon.
Thanks,
JW
Mark Mellin
jswa...@yahoo.com (John S. Watson) wrote:
> Are there any Norwegian food stores
> in the bay area?
Your best bet is probably the Nordic House in Oakland (just off SR 24,
I believe), though you may also try inquiring about Peninsula places at
Northern Lights, on Santa Cruz, in Menlo Park.
Nordic House
3421 Telegraph Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
Phone: (510) OLympic 3-3882
- Mark
--
Mark Mellin Precita Valley, CA USA 94110-5206
Michael Dix
Thanks, John - this is the most interesting thing
I've looked up at random for a while.
Rakfisk seems to be a homemade treat, served at Christmas,
and is the most common source of botulism poisoning in
Norway. You can use trout.
I found a simple enough sounding recipe (in Norwegian,
of course) at
http://www.kokebok1.com/kb1-sider/fisk/%C3%B8rret/RAKFISK.htm
You need 10kg of fish, 700g of salt, what I think is
a tablespoon of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of saltpeter.
Apparently some recipes also call for vinegar.
Let us know how it comes out.
Karen O'Mara
> Thanks, John - this is the most interesting thing
> I've looked up at random for a while.
>
> Rakfisk seems to be a homemade treat, served at Christmas,
> and is the most common source of botulism poisoning in
> Norway. You can use trout.
>
> I found a simple enough sounding recipe (in Norwegian,
> of course) at
> http://www.kokebok1.com/kb1-sider/fisk/%C3%B8rret/RAKFISK.htm
>
> You need 10kg of fish, 700g of salt, what I think is
> a tablespoon of sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of saltpeter.
>
> Apparently some recipes also call for vinegar.
>
> Let us know how it comes out.
Hmmm, being half Norwegian and half Swedish, I've always thought
this dish was strictly Finnish!
--
Karen O'
37:23:10 N
122:04:58 W
Mark Mellin
ka...@randomgraphics.com wrote:
> Michael Dix wrote:
>
> > [ snip - rakfisk recipe ]
>
> Hmmm, being half Norwegian and half Swedish, I've always thought
> this dish was strictly Finnish!
Sorry, "fisk" isn't one of the many Scandanavian loan words used in
Finnish. The base noun for fish in suomea is "kala". A quick review of
Ojakangas' "The Finnish Cookbook", FAHA (Finnish American Home
Association, in Sonoma) Ladies and Friends Favorite Recipes,
Finnish-American Folk Recipes, and the very slim volume given to me by my
Swedish and Norwegian in-laws entitled "The Best of Finnish Cooking"
reveals no such recipe for "fermented salmon". I don't think it's
mentioned either in Kirby's English translation of the epic poem the
Kalevla "Land of Heroes" or in the subsequent film "The Day the Earth
Froze".
- Mark "what the heck's a Sampo?" Mellin
Mark Mellin
> I don't think it's
> mentioned either in Kirby's English translation of the epic poem the
> Kalevla "Land of Heroes"
^^^^^^^
Dang that spell checker of mine! For those interested in a 'Merican
English translation of The Kalevala (rather than the King's English of
Kirby), check out Eino Friberg's version published by Otava in 1988.
ObBaFinnFood: Benefit dinner for the Suomi Koulu held at the Berkeley
Finnish Brotherhood Hall every autumn.
Karen O'Mara
> Sorry, "fisk" isn't one of the many Scandanavian loan words used in
> Finnish. The base noun for fish in suomea is "kala". A quick review of
> Ojakangas' "The Finnish Cookbook", FAHA (Finnish American Home
> Association, in Sonoma) Ladies and Friends Favorite Recipes,
> Finnish-American Folk Recipes, and the very slim volume given to me by my
> Swedish and Norwegian in-laws entitled "The Best of Finnish Cooking"
> reveals no such recipe for "fermented salmon". I don't think it's
> mentioned either in Kirby's English translation of the epic poem the
> Kalevla "Land of Heroes" or in the subsequent film "The Day the Earth
> Froze".
The Finns have a dish of fermenting (or rotting, imo) salmon, but I don't
know the name. I'll ask my Finnish cousin what the name of it is --
sensitively, of course.
John S. Watson
>
> The Finns have a dish of fermenting (or rotting, imo) salmon, but I don't
> know the name. I'll ask my Finnish cousin what the name of it is --
> sensitively, of course.
The first americans of the far north had a similar dish also ...
how many ways can there be to rot fish and still be edible?
Anyone speak norweigen around here? Somebody posted
http://www.kokebok1.com/kb1-sider/fisk/%C3%B8rret/RAKFISK.htm
but it's all in one of the planets 5000 languages I don't happen to speak.
JW
Steve Wertz
The Sweedish version of rotten fish is 'surstromming':
Pickled herring. Brine for 48hrs in 25% salt-brine solution, *then*
eviscerate the herring (remove head and innards, but not the roe).
Pack in barrels in 17% salt brine and close the barrels. Ferment for 6-7
weeks (May-June Sweedish time). 'It is during this time that the odoriferous
gas is produced in large amounts", then its canned usually.
-sw
Kent H.
on Telegraph in Oakland. Even though the owners are Danish,
they have whatever Norwegian products are around. For a
strictly Norwegian place you might ask the President of the
local Sons of Norway chapter, Robert J Hendrickson at
(925)676-4708. Good Luck
Kent H.
Karen O'Mara
> The first americans of the far north had a similar dish also ...
> how many ways can there be to rot fish and still be edible?
>
> Anyone speak norweigen around here? Somebody posted
> http://www.kokebok1.com/kb1-sider/fisk/%C3%B8rret/RAKFISK.htm
>
> but it's all in one of the planets 5000 languages I don't happen to speak.
ok, I used to speak it when I was a teen, but I'll embarass myself anyway, just for the halibut. Let's
see..."Fisken må hele tiden være dekket av laken. Kokt og kald lake, laget av 70 g salt pr. liter vann
fylles på til fisken er dekket av lake.
means the fish must have the something something of the something... Something and cold something, add the
70 g salt per one liter of water something to the fish is something of something. (perhaps just cover the
fish with salt water...?)
Hee!
'kald kjeller ved 2-8 C i ca tre måneder'
means keep cool at a temperature of 2-8 degrees centigrade in [something -- ca? california? hee] for three
months.
"Man må sørge for å "lufte" fisken i løpet av lagrings-tiden. Denne luftingen består ganske
enkelt i at man løfter bort trefjelene og rører litt rundt."
You must do something for something about air in the something (container) many times. The airing improves
the flavor in oh brother... never mind.
Oh Til rakfisken serveres rømme, lefse, flatbrød, smør og kokte poteter
means serve the rakfisk with sour cream, lefse, flatbread, butter and cooked potatoes.
There. I am definitely cracking up my mother somewhere in heaven... hee.
If I translated this, we'd be sending out for Chinese... I really need to try harder.
Rakfisk
150 g pr. person
Salting av rakfisk:
10 kg fisk
700 g salt
1 ss sukker
1/4 ts saltpeter
Fisken renses og vaskes før den legges ned i nyrensede butter. Det er viktig at bukveggene er helt rene
og at fisk som skal ligge i samme butt, er
omtrent jevnstore.
Dryss grovt salt i bunnen av butten, og deretter drysses fisken med salt i buken og på skinnsiden. Fisken
legges tett i bunnen med buksiden opp, og det
drysses litt salt og 1 ss sukker mellom hvert lag fisk.
Etter som butten fylles med fisk, legges press på det øverste fiskelaget ved hjelp av et par trefjøler og
en sten. Trefjølene og stenen må være rengjort i
kokende vann.
Fisken må hele tiden være dekket av laken. Kokt og kald lake, laget av 70 g salt pr. liter vann fylles på
til fisken er dekket av lake.
Rakfisken lagres i en kald kjeller ved 2-8 C i ca tre måneder. Man må sørge for å "lufte" fisken i løpet
av lagrings-tiden. Denne luftingen består ganske
enkelt i at man løfter bort trefjelene og rører litt rundt.
Når den er ferdig vaskes fisken godt før den fileteres skinn- og benfri.
Rakfiskfileten skjæres i 3 cm brede strimler på tvers. Anrett den som hel filet sammen med rødløkringer.
Til rakfisken serveres rømme, lefse, flatbrød, smør og kokte poteter.
Karen O'Mara
> The Sweedish version of rotten fish is 'surstromming':
>
> Pickled herring. Brine for 48hrs in 25% salt-brine solution, *then*
> eviscerate the herring (remove head and innards, but not the roe).
> Pack in barrels in 17% salt brine and close the barrels. Ferment for 6-7
> weeks (May-June Sweedish time). 'It is during this time that the odoriferous
> gas is produced in large amounts", then its canned usually.
This doesn't sound like the prep of pickled herring that we may commonly
recognize in the deli or store... it's not canned but stored in a refrigerator.
Surstromming seems to be different than surisild which is the pickled herring
that is common to see like Lasco brand at Safeway and such.
I think we're talking about a couple of different things here, anyway.
One can be exported to the U.S. and one can't. I think the fermenting-rotting
one can't, and the pickled one can.
Mark Mellin
ka...@randomgraphics.com wrote:
> Mark Mellin wrote:
>
> > [ snip - quick search of Finnish cookbooks & literature for "fermented
> > salmon" ]
>
> The Finns have a dish of fermenting (or rotting, imo) salmon, but I don't
> know the name. I'll ask my Finnish cousin what the name of it is --
I posted a recipe [in English] from work that seems to have vanished.
You're not thinking simply of Gravlax (salt cured salmon, "Graavi lohi" in
Finnish), are you? The ingredients closely match those posted by Michael
Dix, using equal parts of sugar and coarse salt, provided that one adds a
bunch of fresh dill and substitutes coarsely ground white pepper for
saltpeter.
The traditional recipes call for weighing the fish down in the brine
solution using a wooden plank and storing for a couple of days in "a cool
place", turning the fish every 12 hours or so. Perhaps the plank is the
"Rak" in Rakfisk? When we make this, (usually during the holidays) our
definition of "a cool place" is the fridge. But then, we don't live in
Suomi.
- Mark
Mark Mellin
ka...@randomgraphics.com wrote:
>
> > Anyone speak norweigen around here? Somebody posted
> > http://www.kokebok1.com/kb1-sider/fisk/%C3%B8rret/RAKFISK.htm
> >
> > but it's all in one of the planets 5000 languages I don't happen to
> >speak.
>
>
> means keep cool at a temperature of 2-8 degrees centigrade in [something =
> -- ca? california? hee] for three months.
Okay, this obviously isn't a variation on Gravlax. I still say it's
not Finnish in origin, though perhaps your serkku is from a different part
of the country than my family (mostly west coast, hence the Swedish family
name).
Here's a tidbit from Time Life's "Cooking of Scandanavia":
"Perhaps the simplest and most delicious way the Norwegians have of
preparing trout is to saute it in butter and make a sauce from the pan
drippings and sour cream [recipe to follow]. The oddest is to let the
trout ferment. The Norwegians lay it down in layers in crocks or kegs
with coarse salt and sugar in between and put a weight on top. This is
usually done in late August when the trout are fattest [one of the
something, somethings?]; by early winter they are ready. During the
intervening period the tissue breaks down, and the flesh becomes of such
buttery consistency that it can be - and in fact is - spread on flat
bread. Bright pink in color, fermented trout smells like raw petroleum
and tastes like strong cheese." [Alas, no recipe to follow]
- Mark "Maybe Abba brand exports it ready made in a tube these days" Mellin
Karen O'Mara
> In article <3B4E689F...@randomgraphics.com>,
> ka...@randomgraphics.com wrote:
> >
> > > Anyone speak norweigen around here? Somebody posted
> > > http://www.kokebok1.com/kb1-sider/fisk/%C3%B8rret/RAKFISK.htm
> > >
> > > but it's all in one of the planets 5000 languages I don't happen to
> > >speak.
> >
> > [ snip - valiant attempt at recalling high school Norwegian ]
> >
> > means keep cool at a temperature of 2-8 degrees centigrade in [something =
> > -- ca? california? hee] for three months.
> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
I was just joking that I didn't know what "ca" was i Norsk.... still don't.
>
> Okay, this obviously isn't a variation on Gravlax. I still say it's
> not Finnish in origin, though perhaps your serkku is from a different part
> of the country than my family (mostly west coast, hence the Swedish family
> name).
>
> Here's a tidbit from Time Life's "Cooking of Scandanavia":
>
> "Perhaps the simplest and most delicious way the Norwegians have of
> preparing trout is to saute it in butter and make a sauce from the pan
> drippings and sour cream [recipe to follow]. The oddest is to let the
> trout ferment. The Norwegians lay it down in layers in crocks or kegs
> with coarse salt and sugar in between and put a weight on top. This is
> usually done in late August when the trout are fattest [one of the
> something, somethings?]; by early winter they are ready. During the
> intervening period the tissue breaks down, and the flesh becomes of such
> buttery consistency that it can be - and in fact is - spread on flat
> bread. Bright pink in color, fermented trout smells like raw petroleum
> and tastes like strong cheese." [Alas, no recipe to follow]
>
> - Mark "Maybe Abba brand exports it ready made in a tube these days" Mellin
>
> --
> Mark Mellin Precita Valley, CA USA 94110-5206
da...@schweisguth.org
> In article <1979e644.01071...@posting.google.com>, jswa...@yahoo.com (John S. Watson) wrote:
>> Are there any Norwegian food stores in the bay area?
>
> Your best bet is probably the Nordic House in Oakland (just off SR 24, I
> believe), though you may also try inquiring about Peninsula places at
> Northern Lights, on Santa Cruz, in Menlo Park.
There's something Scandinavian-oriented on Solano in Albany, just east of
Key Route. Never been in, and don't know whether they sell food or just
knickknacks.
--
| Dave Schweisguth http://www.schweisguth.org/~dave/ |
| Home: da...@schweisguth.org Work: schw...@appliedbiosystems.com |
| For compliance with the NJ Right to Know Act: Contents partially unknown |
s...@cs.berkeley.edu
Scandinavian food items at the Ikea store. Their
jarred pickled herring, for example, seems superior to that
from Trader Joe's (not that I'm setting that as a standard
of comparison).
Steve
Steve Wertz
I was trying to emphasize that Scandanavian countries produce
a lot of rotting fish, in their own customs. The method I posted wasn't
much different than the recipe you posted. I have another for shark
packedin barrels Denmark. Althogh reading 'Unmentionable Cusine' (Schwabe)
harldy makes me an expert, I actually enjoy rotting fish from
other countries.
Pickled Herring' was how it was translated. It didn't contain any
preservatives (Potassium Nitrate) except salt, which makes it even more
disgusting.
-sw