Stockfish is unsalted
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
, especially
codCod is the common name for the genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
, dried by sun and wind on wooden racks on the foreshore called
flakes, or in special drying houses. The
drying of foodDrying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which prevents the growth of microorganisms and decay. Drying food using the sun and wind to prevent spoilage has been known since ancient times...
is the world's oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years. The method is cheap and effective in suitable climates, the work can be done by the fisherman and family, and the resulting product is easily transported to market.
Cod is the most common fish used in stockfish production, while other
whitefishWhitefish is a fisheries term referring to several species of pelagic deep water fish with fins, particularly cod , whiting , and haddock , but also hake , pollock , or others.Unlike oily fish, white fish contain oils only in their liver,...
, such as
pollockPollock is the common name used for either of the two species of marine fish in the Pollachius genus. Both P. pollachius and P. virens are commonly referred to as pollock. Other names for P...
,
haddockThe haddock or offshore hake is a marine fish distributed on both sides of the North Atlantic. Haddock is a popular food fish, widely fished commercially....
, ling and tusk, are used to a lesser degree. Over the centuries, several variants of stockfish have evolved, notably
salt codDried and salted cod, usually called salt cod, is cod preserved by salting, drying, or both.With the sharp decline in the world stocks of cod due to overfishing, other white fish may be used instead, sometimes labelled as such, and sometimes still misleadingly called "salt cod", so the term has...
(
q.v.).
SaltingSalting is the preservation of food with dry salt. It is related to pickling . It is one of the oldest methods of preserving food, and two historically significant such foods are dried and salted cod and salt-cured meat.Salting is used because most bacteria, fungi and other potentially pathogenic...
was not economically feasible before the 17th century, when cheap salt from southern Europe became available to the maritime nations of northern Europe.
Etymology
The word
stockfish is a loan word from
DutchDutch is a West Germanic language spoken by over 22 million people as a native language, and over 5 million people as a second language.
"1% of the EU population claims to speak Dutch well enough in order to have a conversation." Outside the European Union the number of second language...
stokvis 'stick fish', possibly referring to the wooden racks on which stockfish are traditionally dried or because the dried fish resembles a 'stick'.
Importance
Beside oil, gas, and income from the merchant fleet, stockfish is
NorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a country in Northern Europe occupying the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, as well as Jan Mayen and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard under the Spitsbergen Treaty...
's longest sustained export commodity, and the socioeconomically most profitable export over the centuries.
Historically, stockfish was important to the export economies of
British North AmericaBritish North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783....
(especially the fishing ports of Newfoundland,
New EnglandNew England is a region of the United States. It is located at the northeastern corner of the US, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, Canada and the state of New York, consisting of the modern U.S...
,
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia is a Canadian province located on Canada's southeastern coast. It is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. Its capital, Halifax, is a major economic centre of the region. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest province in Canada with an area of...
). Preserved cod fed
IcelandThe Republic of Iceland is a European island country located in the North Atlantic Ocean. It has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km². Its capital and largest city is Reykjavík, whose surrounding area is home to approximately two thirds of the national population...
for centuries, to the extent of it being described as a local equivalent of
breadBread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and possibly more ingredients. Doughs are usually baked in the Western world , but in some cuisines breads are steamed, fried, or baked on a hot skillet. It may be leavened or unleavened...
.
Stockfish is extremely popular and is widely consumed in Catholic Mediterrenean countries, notably
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
,
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, and
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
. (Stockfish is called
stoccafisso in most Italian dialects, but confusingly
baccalàBaccalà is Italian for salt cod. Most baccalà dishes require that the fish be soaked numerous times to remove excess saltiness. It is the same word as Portuguese bacalhau, and Spanish bacalao, which are used in similar dishes....
-- which normally refers to salt cod -- in the
VenetoVeneto , is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 4.8 million, and its capital is Venice....
). It remains part of the national cuisines of the
CaribbeanThe Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts...
, having arrived there with the so-called
Triangular TradeTriangular trade, or Triangle trade, is a historical term indicating trade among three ports or regions. The trade evolved where a region had an export commodity that was required in the region from which its major imports came...
-- manufactured goods from Europe, slaves from West Africa,
sugarSugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple , and in many...
from the Caribbean plantations. It still forms part of nationally significant dishes in all three regions.
Manufacturing and usage
The science of producing good stockfish is in many ways comparable to that of making a good
cognacCognac is a commune in the French département of Charente, of which it is a sub-prefecture. The inhabitants of the town are known as Cognaçais.-Geography:Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns ofAngoulême and Saintes...
, parma ham, or a well matured
cheeseCheese is a food consisting of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. It is produced by coagulation of the milk protein casein. Typically, the milk is acidified and addition of the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into...
. The
slow foodThe Slow Food movement was founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy to combat fast food. It claims to preserve the cultural cuisine and the associated food plants and seeds, domestic animals, and farming within an ecoregion. It was the first established part of the broader Slow movement...
movement insists that all these artisanal products must be made on a small scale and given time to mature.
The fish is prepared immediately after capture. After gutting the fish, it is either dried whole, or split along the spine leaving the tail connected. The fish is hung on the flakes from February to May. Stable cool weather protects the fish from
insectInsects are arthropods, having a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet and include more than a million species that are already described. Insects represent more than half of all...
s and prevents
bacteriaThe bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
l growth. A temperature just above zero degrees celsius, with little rain, is ideal. Too much frost will spoil the fish, as ice destroys the fibers in the fish. The climate in northern Norway is excellent for stockfish production. Due to the stable conditions, the stockfish produced in
LofotenLofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. Though lying within the Arctic Circle, the archipelago experiences one of the world's largest elevated temperature anomalies relative to its high latitude.-Etymology:...
is regarded as the best. The traditional cod harvest in Lofoten also takes place during the best drying time. Due to a milder and more humid climate, salted/dried whitefish (klippfisk) was more common in the fisheries districts of Western Norway.
After its three months hanging on the flakes, the fish is then matured for another two to three months indoors in a dry and airy environment. During the drying, about 80% of the water in the fish disappears. The stockfish retains all the nutrients from the fresh fish, only concentrated: it is therefore rich in proteins, vitamins,
ironIron is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 element and is therefore classified as a transition metal. Iron and iron alloys are by far the most common metals and the most common ferromagnetic materials in everyday use...
, and
calciumCalcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the Earth's crust...
.
After sorting by quality, most of the stockfish is exported to
PortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
and
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a country in southeast Europe, at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean Sea. Its capital is Zagreb...
. In Norway and Iceland, the stockfish is mostly used as a snack and for
lutefiskLutefisk is a traditional dish of the Nordic countries made from stockfish or dried/salted whitefish and soda lye...
production. In Italy and Portugal, the fish (called
stoccafisso) is soaked and used in various courses, and is viewed as a delicacy.
Low-quality stockfish is also commonly used as supplemental
food for petsPet food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of pet .-Industry:...
, primarily as
dog foodDog food is food intended for consumption by dogs or other canine. Special types of dog food, given as a reward, and not as a staple, are known as dog treats....
or dog treats.
Dishes
The
baccalà alla vicentinaBaccalà alla vicentina is an Italian dish native to Vicenza made from baccalà, dried unsalted cod, served on or next to white, soft polenta.-External links:**...
, an ancient and traditional
Italian dishItalian cuisine as a national cuisine known today has evolved through centuries of social and political changes, with its roots traced back to 4th century BC...
native to
VicenzaVicenza, a city in northern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione. Vicenza is approximately 60 km west of Venice and 200 km east of Milan....
, is made from stockfish (confusingly
not from salt cod, although salt cod is known in standard Italian as
baccalàBaccalà is Italian for salt cod. Most baccalà dishes require that the fish be soaked numerous times to remove excess saltiness. It is the same word as Portuguese bacalhau, and Spanish bacalao, which are used in similar dishes....
) and is served on or next to
polentaPolenta is a dish made from boiled cornmeal. The word "polenta" is borrowed into English from Italian.-Description:Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal originally made with Chestnut meal in ancient times. It can be ground coarsely or finely depending on the region and the texture...
.
Stockfish is popular in
West AfricaWest Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries distributed over an area of approximately 5 million square km:*Benin...
, where it is used in the many soups that complement the grain staples
fufuFufu, , is a staple food of West and Central Africa. It is a thick paste or porridge usually made by boiling starchy root vegetables in water and pounding with a mortar and pestle until the desired consistency is reached...
and
garriGarri is a popular West African food made from cassava tubers. The spelling "gari" is mainly used in Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana..To make garri, cassava tubers are peeled, washed and grated or crushed to produce a mash...
. The
BakweriThe Bakweri are an ethnic group of the Republic of Cameroon. They are closely related to Cameroon's coastal peoples , particularly the Duala and Isubu.-Early population movements:...
, who are a fishing people of the English-speaking part of
CameroonThe Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of...
, use stockfish in flavoring their
palmArecaceae or Palmae , the palm family, is a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales...
nut or
banga soup, which is eaten with a
cocoyamCocoyam can mean:* Taro - old cocoyam* Malanga - new cocoyam...
pudding called
kwacoco. The name okporoko for stockfish, among the Igbo of Nigeria refers to the sound the hard fish makes in the pot and literaly translates as that which produces sound in the pot.
Both stockfish and salt cod can be made into
lutefiskLutefisk is a traditional dish of the Nordic countries made from stockfish or dried/salted whitefish and soda lye...
.