THE HISTORY OF COD

By Henry Roberts
 INDEX
1. What is cod?
2. Types of cod.
3. The history of the cod.
4. Cod as food.
 WHAT IS COD?

• A large saltwater (marine) fish that lives in various parts of the world
• The barbel on the chin is quite large and its purpose is to help the cod
to find its way in the dark water. It also helps him hunt for food.
• It has white meat which makes it very popular in the cuisine of many
cultures.
• It looks like …..
This !
 TYPES OF COD
• Two main types:
Atlantic Pacific
GREENLAND COD
• 77 cm
• Canada's Arctic, from Alaska to
Hudson Bay, and down the
Atlantic coast to Labrador.
BLACK COD/SABLEFISH

70 cm

Baja California to
Japan and the Bering Sea
 North American west coast
from Shumagin Islands in the Gulf
of Alaska to Baja California, Mexico
 HISTORY OF THE COD

• As I said before, cod has always been very important as a fish because
its white meat made it very popular in the cuisine of many countries.

• This is the reason why cod has been fished for over a thousand years
and has been very important economically in international
markets since the Viking period (around 800 AD).
Drying cod

1700 1900
The cod was so important
that it was even shown in
some paintings.

Here a fishing family in

the 19th Century.
• The Portuguese began fishing cod in the 15th century in the north
Atlantic Ocean.

• The Basques played an important role in the cod trade, and found

the Canadian fishing banks (Terranova) before Columbus' discovery of
America.

• The Basques also invented a clever technique for conserving fish for a
long time.
 COD AS FOOD
• Cod is popular as a food with a mild flavour and a dense, flaky, white
flesh.
• In the United Kingdom, Atlantic cod is one of the most common
ingredients in fish and chips, along with haddock and plaice.
• It is mainly consumed in Portugal, Spain, Italy and Brazil.
 BACALAO
Bacalao is basically cod
that has been preserved
in salt for a long time and
then cooked.

There are many Basque

popular dishes with
bacalao, such as bacalao
al pil-pil.
 ANECDOTE
• GURTUBAY AND HIS LIFE-SAVING COD.