A History of Bacalhau in Portugal + Is it Sustainable to Eat Codfish?
What is bacalhau?
Bacalhau is codfish that has been salted and dried in the sun. This ancient preservation method allows the cod to be stored indefinitely at ambient temperatures, without the worry of bacteria or mold growing on the highly saline dried codfish.
Traditionally there are more than 365 different ways to prepare bacalhau, one for each day of the year. The Portuguese are absolutely OBSESSED with bacalhau.
Where does bacalhau come from?
This one might throw you off: codfish isn't actually found in Portuguese waters. Rather, bacalhau is caught in much colder waters near Norway, Iceland, and Newfoundland. The waters surrounding Portugal are abundant in other species like sardines.
However, sardines don't take to the preservation method very well because they're an oily fish. For the drying and preservation process to occur effectively, the fish needs to contain a low level of oil and fat as these oils repel the saline water used in the salting process and prevent the salt from preserving the fish. Cod, on the other hand, contains very low levels of oils, allowing the preservation process to occur much more effectively.
A history of bacalhau in Portugal
The history of bacalhau can be traced back to the 14th century and the exploration era of the Portuguese. Dried and salted cod could be kept in ships holds for years, ensuring food security for men at sea. As a result, salted codfish became a staple part of the Portuguese Navy's diet from 1497 with the discovery of vast reserves of cod off the shores of Newfoundland.
However, bacalhau didn't just become a favorite among navy men. Dried and salted codfish followed the Portuguese back to land and become a staple all across the country as it served as an inexpensive and easy-to-preserve substitute for Catholics required to forgo land-based meat during holidays and other religious events.
Today, you'll be hard-pressed to find a restaurant anywhere in Portugal where you can't get bacalhau. It's a staple in every single neighbourhood across the country and is loved by locals and tourists alike. It's still traditionally served on Catholic holidays where meat isn't consumed including Easter, Good Friday, Lent, and Christmas Eve.
Is it sustainable to eat codfish?
If you're familiar with the 1992 collapse of the cod fishery in Newfoundland, then you may be wondering if eating codfish is a sustainable option.
While the cod fishery off the coast of Newfoundland remains closed, due to continued low populations, there are other regions of the world where Atlantic codfish can be found. Many of these cod fisheries in other regions have been rebuilt and carefully managed, especially following the 1992 collapse in Newfoundland, to ensure a similar situation didn't occur elsewhere. For example, the cod fishery in the Gulf of Maine has been very carefully managed and is considered to be a sustainable source of codfish today.
The best way to ensure that the fish that you're eating is sustainable, whether its cod or anything else, is to know where it came from. Traceability is the first step in cultivating a more sustainable seafood supply chain. By getting to know your local fishermen, you can find out where your fish was caught, who it was caught by, and how it was caught.
Plus, buying directly from a fishermen helps to support small-scale fishing communities and sustainable fishing practices.