In the upper Great Lakes region, lake whitefish is what summer memories are made of. Anyone who has pulled off the side of the road to purchase fresh smoked whitefish wrapped in paper, ordered a basket of fried whitefish and fries at a diner, simply enjoyed smoked whitefish on a cracker, or savored a steaming bowl of whitefish chowder on a chilly day, will understand the role that whitefish plays in our lives. This book is a celebration of a great and noble food fish that has provided sustenance for a thousand years or more to inhabitants of North America.

 

But this book is more than just about the fish. It is really about a whitefish culture. It is about the many, many people whose lives revolve around lake whitefish: the people who harvest it and process it, the people who smoke it, the people who prepare it, the people who sell it, and, yes, the people who eat it, and will go out of their way to buy it. Enjoy the journey!