THE HISTORY OF COD

By Henry Roberts
 WHAT IS COD?
• A large marine fish with a small barbel on the chin.
• Two main types:
Atlantic Pacific
OTHER TYPES OF COD
GREENLAND COD
BLACK COD/SABLEFISH
LINGCOD
POLLOK
 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.
• Cod has been an important economic commodity in international
markets since the Viking period (around 800 AD). Norwegians travelled
with dried cod and soon a dried cod market developed in southern Europe.
This market has lasted for more than 1,000 years, enduring the Black
Death, wars and other crises, and is still an important Norwegian fish trade.

• The Portuguese began fishing cod in the 15th century. The Basques played

an important role in the cod trade, and allegedly found the Canadian fishing
banks before Columbus' discovery of America.

• The basques also invented a clever technique for conserving fish for a long
time.
 ANECDOTE
• GURTUBAY AND HIS LIFE-SAVING COD.