Bizarre Foods in Minnesota
Proving once again that the most bizarre foods and adventures are usually found right in your own back yard, I give you my whirlwind tour of my adopted home state, Minnesota. I could have shot an entire show in one day in the Twin Cities alone actually. Tongue tacos on Lake Street at Pineda Tacqueria, fish maw and spicy pig intestines at my favorite Chinese restaurant (Shuang Cheng, Little Szechuan and The Teahouse all rock these dishes), homemade head cheese at Kramarczuk's. I could go on and on.
But instead I took my father-in-law's advice. He has insisted for years that I should check out the White Earth Re-Discovery Center and do some wild rice harvesting, so we did. The Center is where tribal elders pass on traditional skills to a generation that is removed from ancestral tribal life. The White Earth people believe that the Great Spirit brought them from the North Eastern United States to the North Western corner of our state to a place where the elders told me "the food will come from the water". Zizania Palustris is a plant native to the Upper Midwest lakes region. It's actually not rice, but a water-grass seed that is highly prized around the world for its singular nutty flavor. I spent the morning on the lake gliding in a canoe through the delicate shoots, knocking the seeds into the floor of the canoe while my partner poled us along. Some things to keep in mind: the shoots can be ripped out simply by tugging on them, many a lake has been stripped of its value by ignorant boaters and the act of knocking the seeds with long wooden sticks is purposely sloppy allowing much of the harvest to fall back into the lake for reseeding the rice bed. We cured the rice by letting it air dry, parched it over an open fire in a cast iron kettle by stirring it with a wooden paddle letting the stray grasses and outermost 'skin' harmlessly burn away. The raw rice takes on a smoky quality. The rest of the rice is jigged, or threshed, by dancing on the seeds until the skin separates completely and can be winnowed away by tossing the rice in the air, allowing the lighter than air chaff to simply blow away. We ate griddled yearling deer, the baked bannock bread and the rice were a real treat, and yes we ate all of the deer, the heart, and the liver, all of it. The strangest thing we ate that day was the sucker-head soup, a bland potage made with a repulsive lake fish renowned for its fatty and cartilaginous body. The heads are the prized resident of each diners bowl, you chew, you suck, you spit out bones. No one said this job was easy.
The Minnesota State Fair offers up an environment that is rich with some of the world's strangest foods, and for me some delicious irony. The foods that I long for the most in between trips overseas are either being judged in the 4H animal buildings or born up at the Miracle of Birth complex. In Madrid, Casa Botin has built a world famous 300 year old reputation on roasting baby pigs, if I were running things there would be baby pigs, lambs and chicks coming out of wood burning ovens instead of sitting under heat lamps waiting for the unwashed hordes to snap their picture. Sounds tastier than a candy bar on a stick don't you think? I settled for an afternoon sharing corn dogs with my pal Marjorie Johnson, and sampling the good (wild game brats at Giggles, deep fried smelt), the bad (cola cheesecake, ostrich on a stick, spaghetti and meatballs on a stick) and the ugly (deep fried Spam nuggets). I have to say there seems to be a disturbing trend over the last 5 years or so to incorporate new foods to the Fair menu simply because someone can put it on a stick. Sloppy Joe on a stick was one of the worst foods I have ever eaten. Just because you can do it doesn't mean you should.
I have lived in Minnesota for 16 years, and have never tried lutefisk, and since it is an iconic food for those of us who get easily bored with everyday fare, I thought it high time I saw how the stuff was made. I stopped by Ingebrestsen's on Lake Street to see who they get their stuff from, sampled some lamb jerky, some blood sausage, some creamed cod roe and armed with a few insights I ventured out to the Olsen Fish Company factory to see how perfectly good dried cod is ruined by well intentioned Norwegians the world over. Well not really the world over since more lutefisk in consumed here than in Norway. At Olsen's they process more of the stuff than any other merchant on the planet, and they do the lion's share of their business at Christmas time. I have taken cod in about a half dozen countries and followed it through the salting and drying process and it was odd to see trucks unloading that same product onto the Olsen's back door, but there it was. The fish is re-hydrated in water and then in a water and lye solution, then finally with water again to rid the fish of the caustic acid. As the fish is exposed to the acid, its protein makeup changes and it not only swells and plumps to resemble its waterborne form but it changes its consistency, taking on its famous jelly like texture.
I wanted to try lutefisk in its territory, which meant traveling to Cyrus, to the Cozy Café, a neighborhood diner that doubles as a senior center and puts on phenomenal suppers on weekends in the fall, with lutefisk as the star of the show. There are only about 200 residents in Cyrus, but about 400 turned out for the meal on the night we were there, and we stuffed ourselves on potato dumplings, Swedish meatballs, and all those amazing Norwegian sweets handmade by dozens of farm country grandmas. The lutefisk is poached, then served with butter or cream sauce, paired with plenty of rutabagas and potatoes, nary a fresh herb in sight and the food we ate at the Cozy Café has not changed much in the 150 years since Scandinavians ventured to the upper Midwest thanks to the states Homestead Acts of the mid nineteenth century. I can tell you that the stuff is way more palatable than its reputation suggests, but the slimy jello-ish texture is frightful when it's in your mouth. Anyone looking to enjoy great home cooked fare and take in a real slice of small town life should head to the Cozy Café and visit with Jean Anderson.
We ate wild boar balls and all, at Lenny Russo's renowned Heartland restaurant, hunted for ruffed grouse with Shawn Perich on the shores of Lake Superior, headed out on the lake with Harley Tofte and netted herring for a shore lunch, and attended a meat raffle at a local bar. You get the picture... this is one of the shows that I most proud of. There’s no place like home.
Comments
I just watched your snowmobile trip in Alaska. Nice to see you paste that Ptarmigan. Looked good, and I hope you had an Alaska State Hunting License.
Posted by: Greg | March 24, 2008 10:06 PM
I'm Filipino-American and after living in these parts of west-central Minnesota, I've been open to try Norwegian food. Growing-up eating a lot of fish, I actually like lutefisk- and sardines too..it's better with rice!
Posted by: Sal Monteagudo | March 24, 2008 10:29 PM
Mr. Zimmern I am 6 years old and my dad, brother and I watch your show every week. I was studying the globe lastnight and I came up with a lot of places I'm interested in and think you should visit:
Ireland, Memphis TN, Japan, Switzerland, Greenland, Afghanistan, Zambia, Madagascar, Sweden, Micronesia, Solomon Islands, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Paraguay, Buenos Aires.
I look forward to your upcoming shows.
Posted by: Jacey Carlson | March 25, 2008 9:51 AM
i live in minnesota currently, but origianally from iowa, so i was excited to see andrew coming to MN! I have tried lutefisk, now being that none of my family is norwegian, i have never tried it until i became engaged to a guy who's family eats it every xmas, it was awful! props to andrew for trying it! the best fair food i'd have to say is cheese curds! can't go wrong! I also didn't know that they had that kind of food in the cities! thanks for bringing your show to minnesota!!
Posted by: Katie | March 25, 2008 11:31 AM
I have to say that I am thrilled to see the Minnesota show tonight. I am born and raised just south of the Duluth Area. After reading the blog, I was amazed that you know Majorie Johnson. She is the coolest, ity bity woman I have ever met. My husband and I were sad that we had no idea that you had been here because we would have loved to meet you! Oh, and I come from a Norwegian family, and there is just some things I just won't try. If you ever come back, let us know, we would love to meet you and maybe try something bizarre.
Posted by: Angela Clark | March 25, 2008 2:28 PM
oh my God!!!!, i'm really writing to my personal guru!!!!, I love you Andrew!!, I'm from San Luis Potosí, México, i always watch your show by discovery travel & living channel, unfortunately, the shows that are 'showed' in that channel are so old!! [and they repeat and repeat and repeat them!!], I'd love if you or someone of your crew could tell them that transmit new episodes of your show!!, Really, i love your show!!! When do you come back to my beautiful Mexico?!
Posted by: GABRIELA LARA SALAZAR | March 25, 2008 7:51 PM
I am waiting to watch the back to Minnesota show. Welcome home!
Posted by: Anonymous | March 25, 2008 9:15 PM
Thank you for doing a show about Minnesota! My husband is a fan of Bizarre Foods and has seen them all several times so we decided to go to Cyrus to watch you particpate in the Lukefisk dinner. That was a great time! I really enjoyed the Minnesota show. You captured the true Minnesota. I would love to show it to my students!
Posted by: Lynn | March 25, 2008 10:48 PM
Andrew you thought Cyrus was big on Lutefisk you should have come to my hometown Madison Minnesota olny 50 miles from Cyrus. I mean for heavens sake we're the Lutefisk capital of the U.S. if not the world. So please if you do another show around here stop on bye, but you'll have to come here during our Norwegian fest ok.
Posted by: Lukas Goetsch | March 25, 2008 11:27 PM
First of all I absolutely love your show. I loved the minnesota episode it was nice to learn that there were bizarre foods in the state i live in and that i can find unusual things near my home.
second, I'm a student at Augsburg college and part of my intercultural communication class required us to try durian fruit. I agree with you in that it was pretty awful. I think I'm going to try lutefisk next it might be a bit more mild.
Posted by: Annika Callaghan | March 25, 2008 11:38 PM
My aunt, Jean Anderson, is the owner of the Cozy Cafe in Cyrus. I have not been able to bring myself to try the lutefisk, but I did try the lefse and liked it. I like my cod but I don't think I'd like it jellied. I believe it is the only place we have both eaten at from both seasons. My mom told me that was her old PE teacher you were dancing with on the show, too funny.
Posted by: Jennifer | March 26, 2008 12:37 AM
Andrew,
What a surprise tonight when I watched your Minnesota show and learned that you're an "adopted" Minnesotan. I lived the first 34 years of my life in Minnesota...Cass Lake, Bemidji, Pine River, Hill City, etc. My wife and I now live in California (expect to move to Florida later this year) and watch your program "religiously". What do we like most about your program? Just your generally adventurous eating all over the world...and your candid comments. Prior to the Minnesota show, I watched your visit to Taiwan and howled at your comments...literally had tears running down my cheeks. We've had the pleasure of meeting Samantha Brown and would love to meet you sometime. Best wishes on continuing to entertain, inform, and challenge the viewing public.
Posted by: Rick Wood | March 26, 2008 12:52 AM
Andrew,
What a surprise tonight when I watched your Minnesota show and learned that you're an "adopted" Minnesotan. I lived the first 34 years of my life in Minnesota...Cass Lake, Bemidji, Pine River, Hill City, etc. My wife and I now live in California (expect to move to Florida later this year) and watch your program "religiously". What do we like most about your program? Just your generally adventurous eating all over the world...and your candid comments. Prior to the Minnesota show, I watched your visit to Taiwan and howled at your comments...literally had tears running down my cheeks. We've had the pleasure of meeting Samantha Brown and would love to meet you sometime. Best wishes on continuing to entertain, inform, and challenge the viewing public.
Posted by: Rick Wood | March 26, 2008 12:53 AM
Andrew,
Great show on my home state of Minnesota. Can't wait to hit the North Shore and BWCA this summer! Did I miss you visiting Matt's in South Minneapolis for a Jucy Lucy? Shame on you!
Posted by: Tim Olsen | March 26, 2008 3:13 AM
Andrew, I watch your show at least once a day, and I think I have seen one show where you have shown people of African descent. Tonight on yor episode about Minnesota, I could not believe that there are No AfrAms in Minnesota. Please become more diverse in your representation because I do enjoy your show.
Posted by: Chinue | March 26, 2008 4:03 AM
hello Andrew, I love your show. I watched all episodes, tivo it. I`m Russian, now live in California for a few years. I`m very peaky eater. It turned me in (sort of) bizarre food eater. I like unusual food. You inspired me to try new things i never tried before, and I love most of it. I tried a lot of Asian store goodies (balut, frogs, guts, sea creatures etc)even some Asians don't eat some of it. when i first time was buying balut eggs in a store I asked how to cook it, store clerk and other Asians in line didn't know, and some told me that is disgusting to eat that. thanks, looking forward to see more of your journey. Good luck.
Posted by: Natasha Smerdova | March 26, 2008 4:41 AM
hello Andrew, I love your show. I watched all episodes, tivo it. I`m Russian, now live in California for a few years. I`m very peaky eater. It turned me in (sort of) bizarre food eater. I like unusual food. You inspired me to try new things i never tried before, and I love most of it. I tried a lot of Asian store goodies (balut, frogs, guts, sea creatures etc)even some Asians don't eat some of it. when i first time was buying balut eggs in a store I asked how to cook it, store clerk and other Asians in line didn't know, and some told me that is disgusting to eat that. thanks, looking forward to see more of your journey. Good luck.
Posted by: Natasha Smerdova | March 26, 2008 4:43 AM
Great show Andrew! Glad to see you in Minnesota. I hope next time you come over, you visit us here in New Ulm! We've got great beer and we know how to treat our guests to a good time. Good luck with your next trip wherever you're going and good eats!
Posted by: Sonya | March 26, 2008 9:40 AM
Andrew,
Being from Minnesota most of my life I would like to make a comment about our meat raffles: there was a time in my life when going to a bar and "getting lucky" didn't involve a raffle ticket!
Posted by: Minnesota Mike | March 26, 2008 12:56 PM
Andrew,
All that time i lived in Minnesota and going to the rail I never new their was a meat raffle there. I watch your shows all the time I live in White Earth, when did you come there??
Posted by: Jessica | March 26, 2008 2:11 PM
I enjoy your show alot, where in the world can you get a Lutefisk scented candle... anyone please help
Posted by: Alec Acosta | March 26, 2008 3:53 PM
Good Heavens.. People take a show about food a little too far. Come to MN see how many African American's you find... NOT TO many in the farm land.. know I've lived here my whole life.. As for Miss. Sassy with the rude comments... Possibly turn off your TV and refrain your comments to appropriate language for a family blog site.. You can make your point with out all of the cussing and personal attacks. How very rude.
Mr. Zimmern.. Continue the good work... Thanks for an enjoyable show.
Posted by: Nan | March 26, 2008 4:52 PM
Hey Steve.. I'm currently enjoying Spotted Owl pie and Shark Fin soup. You'd feel the same if he was having plain old chicken, wouldn't ya? Back to eating stinky tofu for you, jackass.
Posted by: Livardo | March 26, 2008 8:53 PM
Zimmer missed the best stew pot of Minnesota; the "Iron Range" Kala Mojaka to Sarma to Porketta to Pasties and many more.
Posted by: Matt | March 26, 2008 9:10 PM
he also missed the wonderful treat of austin mn, spam! bacon flavored spam, regular spam the possibilities are endless! haha, i don't think you would call it a bizarre food but it is a food founded in mn.
Posted by: Katie | March 27, 2008 11:34 AM
Hi Andrew, I knew about your Mn show coming up for quite awhile and couldn't wait to see it. I am from Duluth, Mn and moved to Fl 27 years ago. I just got back from Visiting my brother Wayne in Two Harbors, Mn and we went to the Kendalls Fish Store to have our pic taken with your autographed picture you gave them. Then back to Two harbors past the big Chicken, did you know that that is probably the 3 or 4th Chicken because someone keeps stealing them, ha ha Silly People. Keep up the great work we love you.
Nancy Harrell/ Florida
Posted by: nancy Harrell | March 27, 2008 1:45 PM
Andrew,
I am a recent convert to your show, I found it surfing the channels recently and love it. I have traveled the world thanks to tax payer dollars as a member of the US Army. Unfortunately I have not raveled much since they medically retired me because of my vision
I completely agree the way to know a culture is through its food. My favorite is to walk into a restaurant and point to something on the menu. I do not want to know what it is until after I have eaten it. That way I am not prejudging based on any stereo types.
Currently I am attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Come on down and enjoy some more of a different American culture, the mix here from French, Spanish, Cajun, Creole and the special environment the food here is harvested in makes it something special.
Thanks for making me smile and bringing back some fond culinary memories, I picture and taste them in my mind with every episode. Keep exploring and bringing understanding of this multicultural world we are a small part of.
Vern
Posted by: Vern | March 28, 2008 10:40 AM
I really liked the Minnesota show-but then I have a weakness for State Fairs and all foods found on sticks. Any chance you'll be heading to Texas? I'm sure there are a few bizarre foods around here somewhere.
Posted by: Descartes | March 28, 2008 12:09 PM
I watched the Minnesota and was surprised that you have never had water melon jelly before, and I was just wondering what foods do we as Americans have that other cultures would find "bizarre"
Posted by: Joseph | March 28, 2008 12:43 PM
Glad to see you didn't slam the lutefisk. I live near the small town of Wind Lake, WI. where the Norwegial Lutheran Church stands at Col. Hagg Park. Every year the church has a lutefisk dinner there and they draw over 1000 people there to enjoy it. I think it gets such a bad rep because it does smell when you are prepairing it, but the flavor is great!
Posted by: Pete | March 29, 2008 11:40 AM
Vern wrote:
"Currently I am attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Come on down and enjoy some more of a different American culture, the mix here from French, Spanish, Cajun, Creole..."
He already visited the Gulf Coast (including NOLA). Watch out for the episode as they repeat often.
Posted by: Livardo | March 29, 2008 2:20 PM
I have been with you up to tonite. Eyeballs, intestines, bugs, no big whoop, but rueben on a stick!!!!!yuk! I sill even am going to try the ludefisk, but rueben on a stick ewwwwwwwwww.( Istill think you are the best show on tv:)
Posted by: marillyn dunne | April 1, 2008 7:36 AM
My wife and enjoy all your shows, but your show on Minnesota bizarre foods was great! My wife is a native Minnesotan who claims to actually like lutefisk. Like you said, it's an acquired taste. Fish jello is not my idea of a treat. Maybe you have to be Lutheran? Now potato sausage? That's a treat!
Posted by: John | April 4, 2008 9:58 PM
Andrew, we were able to catch a tiny bit of the last showing of the Minnesota show. We had been out of the country and missed the previous airings. Bummer! Actually, we had just returned from South Africa - might be a destination you would want to explore. We tried rather mundane "safe" foods such as ostrich, wildebeast, kudu and springbok (all delicious!) but for the more adventureous eater there are many bizarre foods to experience in that country. We met about a year or so back at a Brandeis study group discussion - it was a pleasure being with you. I'm wondering if the Minnesota show will be repeated or if a DVD is available? I know that both my brothers who have moved away would really, really enjoy this bit of nostalgia. Thanks. Keep up the great show - and watch out for any tummy aches! (By the way, I visited Malaysia with one of my brothers who at one time was in the Peace Corp. Everyone was thoroughly enjoying durian, but honestly, I just couldn't get past the smell!)
Posted by: Lynn | April 11, 2008 1:25 PM
Andrew, my husband and I love your show. We were so excited to see you come to Minnesota. We live in St. Paul and are looking for bizarre places to spend a weekend eating. I must say, I am 25 and probably the only 25 year old that I know that loves lutefisk. By the time I am in my 50's nobody will know how to cook it anymore. Of course, lefse is my all time favorite!
Thanks for going to the State Fair! I have been there almost ever year since I was a child and never knew half of the items you tried even existed!
The sour kraut pie did not appeal to me, but I could see how it would be good. The burgers looked so good though.
Thanks for a great show!
J & L
Posted by: Lindsay | April 15, 2008 12:32 PM