Description
Curiosities between past and present
The use of drying cod (Gadus morhua) to preserve it is very ancient: there are documents that attest to this practice in the North Seas since the time of Charlemagne (9th century).
Stockfish was introduced to the Triveneto by the Venetians, who were great navigators and brought home every novelty.
The most widespread version of the facts claims that in 1432 the expedition under the command of the Venetian captain Pietro Querini shipwrecked in Norway, on the island of Røst. Returning home, Querini brought stockfish, which in the Triveneto is still called bacalà, while in the rest of Italy salted cod is called baccalà and dried cod is called stoccafisso. The Venetians saw stockfish as an attractive alternative to fresh fish, which was expensive and easily perishable. The tradition of consuming this dish according to various recipes was born, including “bacalà alla vicentina”.
Since 1987, the “Confraternita del Bacalà” has existed, an association of restaurateurs and gastronomes born in Sandrigo (a few kilometers north of Vicenza, Italy), with the aim of promoting this ancient dish while respecting the traditional recipe. For this reason, Sandrigo is called the “homeland of cod”, having historical ties with the Lofoten Islands and organizing an annual festival, which lasts two weeks, in honor of this dish based on dried fish from those areas.
Ingredients:
Rehydrated stockfish (Gadus morhua) 55%, olive oil 22%, water, skimmed milk powder, soft wheat flour type “00”, rice starch, salt, onion, garlic, pepper, parsley, sunflower oil, acidity regulator: citric acid.
