Final day’s lutefisk eating contest entertains crowd
Wendy Harper/MDN First-place winner Frode Tilden of Fargo, front, tips his Olsen Fish Company hat after winning the lutefisk eating contest Saturday Sept. 27, at Norsk Hostfest. He is joined by Miss Norsk Hostfest 2025 Erica Littlefield, back.
Wendy Harper/MDN Contestants in Saturday’s lutefisk eating contest at Norsk Hostfest pose on stage in Oslo Hall. Frode Tilden of Fargo, second from left, and Heather Donelan of St. Paul, Minn., far right, both wearing Olsen Fish Co. hats, took first and second place.
Wendy Harper/MDN First-place winner Frode Tilden of Fargo, front, tips his Olsen Fish Company hat after winning the lutefisk eating contest Saturday Sept. 27, at Norsk Hostfest. He is joined by Miss Norsk Hostfest 2025 Erica Littlefield, back.
Wendy Harper/MDN Contestants in Saturday’s lutefisk eating contest at Norsk Hostfest pose on stage in Oslo Hall. Frode Tilden of Fargo, second from left, and Heather Donelan of St. Paul, Minn., far right, both wearing Olsen Fish Co. hats, took first and second place.
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On the final day of Norsk Hostfest, the annual lutefisk eating contest packed Oslo Hall at 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, drawing cheers and laughter as contestants raced through a pound of the Scandinavian delicacy.
Frode Tilden of Fargo claimed first place, with Heather Donelan of St. Paul, Minn., finishing close behind in second. Both walked away with prizes from Olsen Fish Company, longtime sponsor of the contest, along with the bragging rights that come from taming lutefisk under pressure.
A mix of local residents and visitors from out of state took part in the competition. Each contestant was served a full pound of lutefisk, with the option to season it with butter, salt and pepper before the timer began.
The contest was held each day of the four-day festival, with different contestants downing the cod or whitefish, preserved in a lye solution that creates a gelatinous texture.
Organizers said the event remains one of Hostfest's most enduring traditions, closing out the festival with humor, heritage and a good dose of audience energy.