Bacalhau
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{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}) is the Portuguese word for cod and—in a culinary context—dried and salted cod. Fresh (unsalted) cod is referred to as {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (fresh cod).
Portuguese and other cuisinesEdit
{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} dishes are common in Portugal, and also in former Portuguese colonies such as Cape Verde, Angola, Macau, Brazil, Timor-Leste and Goa. There are said to be over 1000 recipes for salt cod in Portugal alone and it can be considered the iconic ingredient of Portuguese cuisine (it is one of the few species of fish not consumed fresh in this fish-loving country, which boasts the highest per capita fish consumption within the European Union).<ref>http://www.eumofa.eu/documents/20178/84590/EU+consumer+habits_final+report+.pdf/5c61348d-a69c-449e-a606-f5615a3a7e4c page 9</ref> It is often cooked on social occasions and is the traditional Christmas Eve dinner in some parts of Portugal.
CuisineEdit
There are numerous {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} recipe variations, depending on region and tradition. In Portugal, it is said there are more than 365 ways to cook {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, one for every day of the year;<ref name = LPeu>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name = JC>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> others say there are 1,001 ways. Whatever the exact number, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is a ubiquitous ingredient in Portuguese cuisine.
{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is often served with potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and fresh bread. More traditional flavourings include but are not limited to garlic, onion, olive oil, black pepper, white pepper, piripiri, bay leaves, parsley, coriander and allspice. Green wine (vinho verde) or mature wines (Alentejo wine, Dão wine, or Douro wine) are served alongside.
Some {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} dishes:
- Arroz de Bacalhau
- Açorda de Bacalhau
- Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (some varieties: original, Porto)
- Bacalhau à Brás
- Bacalhau Assado
- Bacalhau à Zé do Pipo
- Bacalhau à Lagareiro
- Bacalhau com Broa
- Bacalhau com Castanhas
- Bacalhau com natas ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}} with cream)
- Bacalhau com todos
- Bacalhau Confitado em azeite
- Bacalhau Espiritual
- Bacalhau no Forno com Cebolada
- Bacalhau Suado à Lisboa
- Pasteis de Bacalhau/Bolinhos de Bacalhau
- Pataniscas de Bacalhau
Protection in the EU and UKEdit
The traditional production method for Bacalhau is protected in the EU and UK as a traditional speciality guaranteed under the name Bacalhau de Cura Tradicional Portuguesa.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
Salt cod has been produced for at least 500 years, since the time of the European discoveries of the New World. Before refrigeration, there was a need to preserve the cod; drying and salting are ancient techniques to preserve nutrients and the process makes the cod tastier. More importantly, fish low in oils and fats are more suitable for the drying and preservation process, as oils and fats prevent the salt from preserving the fish. Cod have very low levels of oils and fats in their muscle tissue, and most is located in the liver.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Portuguese, Norman, Breton, and English fisherman were the first to adopt the salt-based curing technique from Basque fishermen in Newfoundland near the cod-rich Grand Banks by the late 1500s.Template:Sfn By the 1700s, salted cod had become a staple food for ordinary Portuguese people and by upper levels of Portuguese society.Template:Sfn With the advancements in freezing and transportation in the 1900s, salted cod from North America declined and Iceland and Norway became the major supplier of the salted fish to Portuguese markets.Template:Sfn During this time {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} was a cheap source of protein and frequently consumed.Template:Sfn Thus, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} became a staple of the Portuguese cuisine, nicknamed {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ('loyal friend').<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In fact, in Portugal, cod always refers to salted, dried codfish and it is very rare to find fresh cod ({{#invoke:Lang|lang}}) for sale.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
This dish is also popular in Portugal and other Roman Catholic countries because of historical fasting rules, which forbade the eating of meat on many days (Fridays, Lent, and other festivals), and so {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} dishes were eaten instead.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is also popular in Sfax where this dish is eaten with chermoula on the first day of Eid ul-Fitr .
In Portugal, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is often sold as a generic product with no brand information. Customers are free to touch, smell, and otherwise personally inspect the fish, which is very different from how fresh seafood is often sold.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Stores can carry a large variety of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} differing in color, size, smell, taste, and dryness. Such variation has led Portugal to define requirements as to what products can carry the label {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}.<ref>Template:CELEX</ref> They are however, graded by weight which often defines what price category the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is sold under. The largest is {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, which are large pieces of whole fish weighing more than 4 kg. Following this are {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (4–2 kg), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (2–1 kg), {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (1–0.5 kg) and {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (below 500g).<ref>Bacalhau: Portuguese Cod. https://www.wetravelportugal.com. Retrieved 10 January 2021.</ref>
See alsoEdit
NotesEdit
ReferencesEdit
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