Finnish Soup-Off Fundraises for Carlton County Historical Society

CLOQUET, Minn. — While the majority of folks spent this weekend drinking, a handful of individuals were perfecting their soups for the 18th annual Mojakka Cook-off.

Mojakka is Finnish-American slang for soup, originally consisting of fish, beef, and vegetables. Sunday 15 contestants brought their variations of the dish to be judged for glory. Mojakka dishes ranged from the more traditional beef or fish and vegetable soup to butternut squash soup, and some even took the creative liberties to adding bacon or venison into the mix. 

“It’s family, friends, local people bringing out their best best soups they ever made. Many of the recipes come from their grandparents,” said Contestant Lisa Quarles. “Mine is a Mexican soup since I come from a Latino background and I wasn’t born up north. But most of the people up here have the traditional cabbage, brothy with a beef, and all those rich root vegetables.”

Every year the cook off raises money towards a local organization or business. This year the Mojakka Cook Off raised money towards the Carlton County Historical Center. 

“All the ticket proceeds, not a percentage, but 100% go to the Carlton County Historical Society,” said the Owner of the Northeastern Hotel Bert Whittington. “It goes to support different maintenance things in the building, different displays, and also different events that they hold. This is probably their largest fundraiser throughout the year.”

Organizers say that the Carlton County Historical Center was an easy choice since every year the cook off is held in Cloquet’s oldest building, the Northeastern Saloon & Grille which was rebuilt in 1904 after the first building burnt down in 1903. The building was one of the only structures left untouched by the Great Cloquet fires of 1918.