''Rakfisk'' () is a Norwegian fish dish made from

trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...

or char, salted and autolyzed for two to three months, or even up to a year. ''Rakfisk'' is then eaten without cooking and has a strong smell and a pungent salty flavor.

Origin

The first record of the term ''rakfisk'' dates back to 1348, but the history of this food is probably even older. No sources are available as to the exact invention year of the ''rakfisk'' dish or the autolysis process that produces the raw material for it.Rakfisk historie

General

Etymology

''Fisk'' is the Norwegian word for "fish." ''Rak'' derives from the word in

Norse language Old Norse, also referred to as Old Nordic or Old Scandinavian, was a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants ...

, meaning "moist" or "soaked".

Preparation method

''Rakfisk'' is made from fresh

or char. After gutting and rinsing, the fish is placed in a bucket and salted. Small amounts of sugar may be added to speed up the autolyzation process. The fish is then placed under pressure with a lid that fits down into the bucket and a weight on top. A brine is formed as the salt draws moisture from the fish. The rakfisk bucket is stored at under 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) for one to three months.

Eating

The finished product does not need cooking and is eaten as it is. Traditionally, ''rakfisk'' is served sliced or as a fillet on flatbrød or

lefse Lefse () is a traditional soft Norwegian flatbread. It is made with riced potatoes, can include flour, all purpose (wheat) flour, and includes butter, and milk, cream, or lard. It is cooked on a large, flat griddle. Special tools are used to pr ...

, with almond potatoes. Some also include thinly sliced raw red

onion An onion (''Allium cepa'' , from Latin ), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the onion which was classifie ...

sour cream Sour cream (sometimes known as soured cream in British English) is a dairy product obtained by fermenting regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, which is introduced either deliberately or naturall ...

, and mustard-sauce (a mild form of

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, small, round seeds of ...

with dill).

References

External links

Rakfisk
(in Norwegian) {{fishing industry topics Norwegian cuisine Fermented fish