Olsen Fish Company

In 1910, Norwegian immigrants Olaf Olsen and John Norberg founded Olsen Fish Company on the north side of Minneapolis. Today, the company supplies herring, lutefisk and stockfish across North America.

Lutefisk is a traditional Norwegian-American dish, and for some is considered an annual rite of the winter holiday season. The dish is made from cod, traditionally caught off the coast of Northern Norway. The fish is dried outdoors on special drying racks before shipping. Upon arrival at its destination, the fish is soaked in a solution of water and lye. After the fish is rehydrated, it is rinsed repeatedly before being packaged for cooking and eating. 

According to food writer Kari Diehl, lutefisk is a traditional Christmas food because of the Catholic restriction on meat that required fasting on various days and weeks. Meals featuring fish and porridge were common substitutions for meat dishes. During the Advent season, dried fish was most widely available, and lutefisk became identified with Christmas because of this.^[1]

In the more than a century it has been in business, Olsen Fish company has grown to 12 full-time employees that process more than 500,000 pounds of lutefisk and two million pounds of herring annually. The company also produces private-label fish products for other businesses. In recent years, the company has found a new market for dried stockfish: The dried cod is also extremely popular among Nigerian immigrants.^[2]

To come

^[1] Diehl, Kari. What is Lutefisk?, The Spruce Eats. September 12th, 2022. Accessed May 18th, 2023. https://www.thespruceeats.com/lutefisk-fish-2952909.

^[2] Minnesota Niche, Eve Daniels. "Olsen Fish Company," 2012. Vimeo, 3:36. vimeo.com/29697031.