Chili cook-offs and barbecue contests are held throughout the country, but there is only one Mojakka Cook-Off, held annually in Cloquet.
The Fifth Annual St. Urho's Day Mojakka Cook-Off will again take place at the Historic NorthEastern Hotel on Dunlap Island in Cloquet on Sunday, March 11, with tasting from 1-4 p.m.
The event is a benefit for the Friends of Animals shelter in Cloquet.
Mojakka (pronounced MOY-a-kah) is a soup or stew popular in Finnish-American households. It is often known as kalamojakka (pronounced KAH-lah-moy-a-kah) and made with herring, pike, whitefish, or whatever fish may be caught locally. ("Kala" is a Finnish word for "fish.")
Some cooks make it more like a beef stew (lihamojakka), but add Finnish touches such as allspice for flavoring. Others prefer their lihamojakka as a watery soup with potatoes, rutabagas and other root vegetables.
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Entry forms for this year's Mojakka Cook-Off are now available at the NorthEastern or at the Friends of Animals Shelter in Cloquet.
An entry form may also be downloaded from the Web site www.mojakka.com , or call 218-729-0821.
In addition to the two main categories for judging - Beef (Lihamojakka) and Fish (Kalamojakka) - there will be a third category - Potluck - for those who make mojakka with chicken, pork, venison or other primary ingredients.
Five judges will choose the winners in a blind tasting. Official judging and sampling of mojakka by the public begins at 1 p.m., with awards announced at 3 p.m.
There is also a People's Choice award, based on voting by those in attendance.
The Friends of Animals Humane Society of Carlton County, Inc., and their animal shelter in Cloquet will again be the beneficiaries of this event. A $5 donation is requested for admission to the tasting. The Mojakka Cook-Off has raised over $2,000 for FOA .
The Mojakka Cook-Off is organized by Tim Winker of the Wink Timber Media Agency ( www.winktimber.com ) of Saginaw. Wink Timber Media Agency specializes in providing promotional material such as news releases, Web sites and advertising for small businesses. WTMA maintains the Web sites www.mojakka.com and www.SaintUrho.com .
