Tørrfisk can be seen in many places along the many coasts (one island after another) of Northern Norway. It's unsalted fish (stockfish), usually cod, that's dried by cold air and wind. It's traditionally hung on racks called "hjell." We learned about tørrfisk on our drive with cousins Elin, Sveinung, and Marita to and from Nyksund (click here if you missed what I think are some of my best photos ever). On our way home after a perfect evening, Elin pulled over so I could get some pictures of some tørrfisk on hjell (I just like the sound of that).Sveinung, Marita, and I got out of the car and, while I snapped away, Sveinung — a very honest-looking man — whipped out his pocket knife and cut the string tying one of the drying fish to a cluster. We jumped in the car, Sveinung threw the loot in Marita's designer bag, and we sped away in the getaway car.
Not really. The Norwegians insisted it was OK. But we laughed as we drove off to begin our life of crime.
Later we tasted it. Elin loves it but said it's better cooked. That's easy to believe.
Tørrfisk se puede ver en muchos lugares a lo largo de las muchas costas (una isla tras otra) del norte de Noruega. Es un pescado sin sal, generalmente bacalao, secado por el aire frío y el viento. Es tradicionalmente colgado en tendedores llamados "hjell". Nos enteramos de tørrfisk en nuestro viaje con primos Elin, Sveinung, y Marita a y desde Nyksund (haz clic aquí si te perdiste lo que creo que son algunas de mis mejores fotos de siempre). En nuestro camino a casa después de una noche perfecta, Elin se detuvo para hacer fotos de "tørrfisk" en los tendedores.
Sveinung, Marita y yo salimos del coche y, mientras hacía fotos, Sveinung, un hombre de aspecto muy honesto, sacó una navaja de su bosillo y cortó la cuerda atando uno de los pescados secos a un racimo. Nos subimos al coche, Sveinung tiró el botín en el bolso del diseñador de Marita, y nos fuimos rápidamente en el coche de la escapada.
No realmente. Los noruegos insistían en que estaba bien. Pero nos reímos cuando comenzamos nuestra vida de crimen.
Más tarde lo probamos. Elin le encanta pero dijo que es mejor cocinado. Eso es fácil de creer.
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| TØRRFISK IN HJELL. PESCADO DE SECO EN TENDEDEROS. |
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| GANGLEADER SVEINUNG SHOWS OFF HIS STOLEN FISH. LÍDER DE BANDA SVEINUNG MUESTRA SU PESCADO ROBADO. |
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| IN THE GETAWAY CAR. EN EL COCHE DE HUIDA. |
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| ELIN TENDERIZES THE FISH... WITH A HAMMER. ELIN ABLANDA EL PESCADO ... CON UN MARTILLO. |
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| BRONTES, ONE VERY HAPPY CAMPER... BRONTES, UN CAMPISTA MUY FELIZ. |
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| ONE NOT SO HAPPY CAMPER (AND I AGREE). UN CAMPISTA NO MUY FELIZ (Y ESTOY DE ACUERDO). |
That sounds like a hjellish experience! 😁
ReplyDeleteJennifer:
DeleteHjellishly delightful... except for the taste of the tørrfisk.
That is a lot of tørrfisk on hjell. I can imaging that it is an acquired taste.
ReplyDeleteTravel:
DeleteAnd something I will not try to acquire.
uh, I'll pass on that, thanks.
ReplyDeleteanne marie:
DeleteTry it. You'll like it.
Thanks so much for this, Mitch! Interesting how they do it in Norway.....coming from and living in an area where this is still done (but salted), it is amazing how many people love this fish! We have it regularly as 'fish cakes'.....potato and salted cod.
ReplyDeleteYou are a pro at displaying and relating what you see in your travels. Thanks for sharing it all.
Jim:
DeleteThis is just one way. They also still salt and dry fish, as well. Bacalao is a favorite.
Sophie and Brontes would be in Hjell Heaven !
ReplyDeleteRon:
DeleteWhile Elin hammered, Brontes drooled with anticipation.
yeah.....can't blame him on the look. I could never walk under all those. Fish creep me out as it is. And I'll only eat salmon. I wonder with all those fish hanging there if they ever get any scavengers trying to swipe some?
ReplyDeletemistress maddie:
DeleteI have no idea why, but apparently scavengers (other than Sveinung) are not a problem. I like fish more and more and after meeting Elin and Sveinung's baby goats, I find myself having a difficult time, emotionally, with meat.
Looks like an art installation. I would probably like it cooked. I even like lutefisk (in small doses and with lots of butter).
ReplyDeleteWilma:
DeleteIf you even like lutefisk (no matter how small the dose and how much the butter), then you would like this. MUCH better than lutefisk (but that's not saying much)!
Will you still be able to blog from The Big House?
ReplyDeleteDebra:
DeleteI've already decided to make a plea deal.
I'd give it a taste, but reluctantly.
ReplyDeleteStephen:
DeleteIt was more blah than anything else. A bit fishy. (Well maybe bleah as opposed to blah).
wow what an interesting lace to visit
ReplyDeleteGosia:
DeleteAnd so much we didn't get to see this time.
Well, if they didn't want you to have it, why hang it out for the taking? Maybe they can't give it away. At any rate, I'm sure it is better cooked, but then YOU won't be doing that, will you...
ReplyDeleteWalt the Fourth:
DeleteThat would be what my mother and her sisters would have said. (And, no, I won't be doing that.)
While I adore fish, I will stick to Goldfish crackers this week.
ReplyDeleteSpo:
DeleteAs long as they're not those super-cheesy goldfish crackers. But I had hake last night.