Parts of cod

We could say that for us humans, cod has no secrets. Cod is a fish that has been traditionally eaten in Europe for many years. The first to do so were the Scandinavians, as cod swims in cold waters. At one point in history the Scandinavians were “lucky” enough to find the island of Iceland, a better quality cod and a beautiful land to settle in.

As is the pig on the mainland, cod is a fish from which everything is taken advantage of. Here is an image in which we can see what we eat from cod.

The parts of the cod: Quartering

This is how the quartering of this magnificent fish is organized. As in the case of the pig, the animal with which it has been compared, there are parts that are tastier than others. The tastiest part is the loin, which would correspond to the back of the fish, so to speak.

The second loin, the one found in the lower part of the animal. It is a meat of great flavor and quality. This loin, the lower one, has the famous ventresca. The ventresca is a fattier meat found in a triangular area near the head. Its name comes from belly, since this fish has the belly on this area.

Since cod is a fish that has a large loin (in quantity and quality) we can obtain the supreme from it. The supreme is a cut to the meat that does not contain bones. Actually, the thicker the thickness of the loin, the easier it is to obtain a greater quantity of supreme fillet.

IQF

Times have changed a lot since the Viking ships brought cod to our shores. Freezing technology has created a method that allows the fish to be frozen without losing any texture or flavor. This method is called Individual Quick Freezing (IQF). It translates as individual quick freezing.

In addition to an improved freezing technique, another advantage of this system is that it gives us the possibility to defrost only the desired part and not the whole block, as with other freezing methods.

Why cod?

We know that cod is a fish that is widely consumed on dates such as Easter. This tradition, of course, comes from the biblical story of Jesus Christ doubling the loaves and fishes. Knowing this, we could ask ourselves why cod is the chosen fish and not any other. Its origin comes from an agreement made by the Pope in the 16th century, who was dazzled by what a clergyman named Olaf Manson told him. He told him about the properties and benefits of cod and the Pope decided to export Scandinavian cod to European countries. The reason for the Pope’s meeting with the Scandinavian was the Council of Trent, surely our friend Olaf returned to his homeland with a couple of stories and countless coins to tell.

In Portugal, cod consumption is higher than in any other country. The story, in this case, is much simpler. It is an agreement that the Portuguese had with the Nordic countries in which the Lusitanians offered salt and bought this fish, to the point where it became the best known.