page_title: Lutefisk
section_title: Preparation
hierarchical_section_title: Lutefisk / Preparation
caption_attribution_description: en:Lutefisk
context_page_description: Lutefisk is dried whitefish. It is made from aged stockfish, or dried and salted cod, pickled in lye. It is gelatinous in texture after being rehydrated for days prior to eating.
  Lutefisk is prepared as a fish dish of several Nordic countries. It is traditionally part of the Christmas feast; Norwegian julebord and Swedish julbord, as well as the similar Finnish joulupöytä.
context_section_description: For it to become edible, Lutefisk must again be soaked in cold water. The first step is soaking  for five to six days (with the water changed daily). The saturated lutefisk is then soaked in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for an additional two days. The fish swells during this soaking, and its protein content decreases by more than 50 percent, producing a jelly-like consistency.
  When this treatment is finished, the fish (saturated with lye) is inedible with a pH of 11–12. To make the fish edible, a final treatment of yet another four to six days of soaking in cold water (also changed daily) is needed.  The lutefisk is then ready to be cooked.
caption: Lutefisk for sale in a Norwegian market
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