Bacalhau
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Categories: Articles lacking sources from March 2007 | All articles lacking sources | All pages needing cleanup | Accuracy disputes from March 2008 | Portuguese cuisine | Brazilian cuisine | Macanese cuisine | Dried fish
This article is about the family of Portuguese and Brazilian dishes called Bacalhau. For the fish product that is the main ingredient in these dishes, see dried and salted cod. For the semi-legendary island of Bacalhau, see Bacalao.
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Salted and dried cod, produced in Norway. Photo by Karl Ragnar Gjertsen
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From the production of salted codfish
Bacalhau means codfish in Portuguese, but the word almost always refers to salt cod and the dishes made from it, as fresh cod is rarely consumed in Portugal.
UseBacalhau dishes are common in Portugal and Galicia in the north of Spain and to a lesser extent in its former colonies like Angola, Macau and Brazil. It is considered a delicacy and is also eaten on special occasions like Christmas Eve and Holy Week, especially on Good Friday. A related dish made from it is bolinhos de bacalhau or pastéis de bacalhau. These deep-fried balls contain less expensive parts of the clipfish mixed together with potatoes, eggs and parsley, in the same vein as fishcakes. Main ingredientThe essential ingredient, salted dried codfish, usually comes from Norway (Bacalhau da Noruega) or Newfoundland (Bacalhau da Terra Nova). It used to be very affordable, but with the collapse of the cod stocks and dismantling of Portuguese bacalhoeiro fleet, it became more expensive, especially near Christmas time. History of bacalhau dishesSalt cod has been produced for at least 500 years, since the time of the European discoveries. Before refrigeration, there was a need to preserve the codfish; drying and salting are ancient techniques to keep many nutrients and the process makes the codfish tastier. The Portuguese tried to use this method of drying and salting several fishes from their waters, but the ideal fish came from much further north. With the "discovery" of Newfoundland in 1497, they started fishing its cod-rich Grand Banks. Thus, bacalhau became a staple of the Portuguese cuisine, nicknamed Fiel amigo (faithful friend). From the 18th century the town of Kristiansund in Norway became an important place of producing bacalao or klippfish. One of the reasons for this popularity in Portugal and other Catholic countries, was because of the many days (Fridays, Lent, and other festivals) on which the Church forbad the eating of meat. Bacalhau dishes were eaten instead.[dubious ] Bacalhau dishesThere are numerous bacalhau recipe variations, depending on region and tradition. It is said there are more than 365 ways to cook bacalhau, one for every day of the year; others say there are 1001 ways. But it is the main bacalhau recipes that are the most notable, and these have even gained fame in Southeast Asia. Many Asian tourists head to Macau just to eat bacalhau, an area where fresh seafood is also very popular. Bacalhau is often served with potatoes. Green (Vinho Verde) or mature wines (Alentejo Wine, Dão Wine or Douro Wine) are served alongside. Image:Bacalhoada.jpg
Traditional bacalhau dish
Some Bacalhau dishes:
Some Regional Bacalhau dishes include:
Besides the dishes listed above, there are the Bolinhos de Bacalhau (name in the North of Portugal and in Brazil) or Pastéis de Bacalhau (name in the South): literally "Codfish cakes", made up of potatoes, eggs, parsley, and some minor ingredients with dry salted codfish. The Bolinhos or Pastéis de Bacalhau are fried and served cold before meals. Another similar delicacies are the "Pataniscas de Bacalhau" and the "Iscas de Bacalhau", which are often only serverd in traditional Tavernas (taberns) in Northern Portugal and often preferred by older people. "Bolinhos de bacalhau" in Brazil are usually served in bars as an appetizer consumed with beer. See alsohe:בקלאו ja:バカラオ no:Bacalao nn:Bacalao pt:Bacalhau ru:Баккалао |
