The cod is nothing more than the cod, which before being prepared undergoes a process of seasoning with prior salting, that is, conservation in the halls.

Salt cod is now an integral part of Italy's culinary tradition, and is also featured in the menu of Christmas holidays. Along with the escarole pizza, especially in Campania the codfish fried is prepared as early as the morning of the December 24 to "sprinkle," that is, to make small samples by preparing theappetite for the dinner of Eve.

The etymology of the word codfish

Many people wonder where the term codfish comes from, and the most widely accepted view is that theetymology Of the word is German: bakkel-jau means "salted fish", which is a transposition of bakel-jau, meaning "hard as a rope." According to another version, however, Sebastiano Caboto, explorer and cartographer Italian, on a trip to the North America in 1509, he noticed the sea along the coast populated with fish that the locals called "codfish"; from then on he recognized those places as "codfish land."

According to others, the Italian term is actually derived from the word Portuguese bacalhau: theItaly, in fact, is second only to the Portugal in the scale of countries that consume this type of fish the most, and it is even said that Portuguese citizens have come up with a different recipe for every day of the year. Thanks to Italy's trade relations with Portuguese fishermen and merchants, who as early as the Five hundred explored the waters of the North Atlantic, this food soon reached our market, all the way to the tables of all Italians, from North to South.

From Flanders to Venice: the story of Senator Querini

Behind the use of baccalà in Italian cuisine there is also a nice story that leads the import of this fish to Italy to an adventure of the senator of Republic of Venice Piero Querini. In 1431 the merchant Venetian had set out on a trading venture with his 68 sailors to the Northern Europe, specifically in the Flanders. Off theLofoten archipelago a terrible storm which caused the shipwreck of the boat; thanks to the lifeboat, the captain and others were able to save themselves by reaching a small island, Roest. The survivors attempted to feed themselves by drinking melted snow, shellfish and seafood, until the inhabitants of a nearby island met them and took care of them.

Querini noticed that the locals were feeding on a fish they had never seen, eating it fresh, with salt, dried or beaten at the sunshine. Intrigued by the probable success of this product in the marketplace, he decided to bring a shipment of it toward Venice, also using it as a kind of "bargaining chip" during the return trip.

Cod or stockfish?

Cod should not be confused with the stockfish, which is a type of cod whose drying takes place without salt. In northern Italy, there are different views on terminology: in Venice, for example, stockfish is known as "bacalà," like that prepared in the Vicenza style: in Genoa, however, the opposite is the case, and codfish is called "stochefiscio".

Stockfish, unlike cod, has a more precise geographical location, in fact it is well known that the favorable climatic conditions of the Norway allow you to stock up on fish after the spawning period of the eggs, and then let it dry in the sun for three months. Cod, on the other hand, is caught in different locations in Europe so it does not have a definite origin.

Perhaps not everyone knows that this fish was also used as a barometer During navigation. But how is this possible? The fish was hung with ropes from themast of the ship: l'moisture that is created in the air anticipates a storm and melts the salt that coats the cod!

Variations of codfish from North to South

Cod easily spread to Italy not only because of its low cost, but also because of the contribution of the Church, which had proposed fish meat as an alternative on days of lent and of eve.

Precisely because of the wide spread and export of this food in various countries, which even among the same regions Italian several variations have arisen in the preparation of cod, resulting in tasty recipes, even contaminated by the tastes of other countries.

Vicenza-style salt cod

Although it is not really codfish, the codfish a la vicentina is so famous in Italian cuisine that we cannot rule it out. The preparation involves first browning the floured stockfish slices in a sauté of oil, onions, sardines and parsley. After that, milk, grated Grana Padano cheese, salt and pepper are added and everything is covered with oil and left to cook over a gentle heat for at least 4 hours, preferably in a earthenware pan. As per northern tradition, usually this stew creamy is enjoyed together with the polenta. 

Ligurian-style codfish

The codfish Ligurian style is first fried and then flavored with a sweet-and-sour sauce made from garlic, sage, white wine, vinegar, and sugar, in which the fish pieces are caramelized during a second cooking, creating a pleasant contrast between the saltiness of the fish and the sweetness of the sauce.

Baccalà alla Bolognese

The cod bolognese is one of the few that is not first floured and fried; in fact, you can feel the very crumbly texture from the first bite. It is usually sautéed directly in a pan with oil, butter, garlic and parsley, and then flavored with the juice of lemon.

Leghorn-style salt cod

The pulp of the salt cod Livornese style results more tender: the fish slices, in fact, after being floured, are sautéed for only a few minutes in a pan before being cooked in a delicious tomato, garlic and onion-based sauce. Also added to the sauce are the potatoes diced and the parsley.

Roman-style salt cod

Unlike the others, the salt cod Roman style prepares for the oven. Again, however, there is a tasty contrast between the sweet and the salty: the fish pieces are arranged on a bed of raw potatoes and onions seasoned with oil, salt, and pepper, and then covered with a tomato sauce, olives, pine nuts and raisins, which give it that touch of sweetness that breaks up the salty seasoning. In fact, the ingredients will compact during baking, becoming a kind of timbale.

Neapolitan-style salt cod

The version Neapolitan also involves an initial frying. The second cooking, on the other hand, flavors the cod with a tomato, garlic-scented sauce, chili, olives, capers and oregano.