The View from the Meadow
Observations of the Passing Scene
Political and Social Commentary by Dave Satre
Home Town Boy Makes Good
Finally --- somebody from my home town has become famous. Well, sort of. Jerry Osteraas, who is from the almost perfect square mile out on the Great Prairie called Madison, Minnesota, has become the undisputed lutefisk eating champion of the United States.
Lutefisk, of course, is a traditional Norwegian delicacy that is generally consumed by Minnesotans during the holidays. Lutefisk, which actually means lye fish in Norwegian, is basically dried white cod that has been soaked in lye to swell it back to its natural shape. It is then typically boiled, although it can be baked or microwaved, until it achieves a transparent, gelatinous texture. It is usually served with butter, which adds the only taste associated with the dish.
So, to put it another way, lutefisk is tasteless glob of fishy jello that wiggles on the fork and slides down the throat easily. That is, if you can suppress your gag reflex sufficiently. It’s an acquired taste.
Osteraas started his blossoming career by winning the lutefisk-eating contest during the annual Norsefest in Madison, which bills itself as the Lutefisk Capitol of the USA. At one time the town claimed to be the lutefisk capitol of the entire world, but it seems Norway complained about that. The town still claims that more lutefisk is purchased per capita in Madison than any other place in Minnesota. The rest of the country is a given --- non-Minnesotans don’t eat lutefisk. At least they don’t admit to it.
Jerry, who is almost seven feet tall, won that first contest in 1987. He then won the contest nine years in a row until his brother-in-law, Duane Schuette, beat him and reigned as champion for a couple of years, but Jerry regained the championship in 2001. Jerry and Duane are tied for the record amount of lutefisk consumed in the Norsefest contest: eight pounds. They were both able to meet the “retention rule”, which requires the contestant to keep it down for 15 minutes. Good gag reflexes. Can you imagine cooking a Christmas lutefisk dinner for these guys and the rest of the family?
Osteraas is capable of eating a pound of lutefisk in five minutes. He has eaten seven pounds in an hour and claims he could eat nine pounds if he were allowed to use butter as a condiment, which makes the fish slide down the throat easier. Otherwise, he admits to getting a bit nauseous after eight pounds. In 2003 he won the national competition in Washington State by eating three pounds in an hour against lightweight competition.
Osteraas is becoming a bit of a celebrity and is a popular attraction at lutefisk fests around the state. He has been interviewed by several radio stations, featured in newspaper articles and even contacted recently by the Jay Leno Tonight Show.
He participated in a television show called “The Top Ten Eating Contests” on the Food Network, during which he was amazed when another championship eater stuffed down 60 hot dogs in a single sitting. And the guy was skinny --- weighing only 140 pounds! It turns out it’s technique, not size, that wins in the pros.
Yeah, but could the guy stomach lutefisk? Not likely.