13 fun facts about
STOCKFISH
1. Where does it come from?
Each winter, hundreds of fishing boats gather in Northern Norway to fish skrei, the migrating Atlantic cod that comes from the Barents Sea to the coast to spawn every year.
2. How is it dried?
The skrei is hung on racks to dry naturally. The salty sea breeze does the job perfectly, just as it has for the last 1,000 years!
Stokk (wooden pole) + fish = stockfish!
...although the name also might come from the fact that the dried fish becomes as hard as a stick (stokk).
You can see the racks in many places in Northern Norway, but they are most common in Lofoten and Vesterålen.
"Lofoten stockfish" is a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) in Europe, like Champagne.
3. Why don't the sea eagles and gulls eat it?
...because they prefer really fresh fish!
4. It's not only skrei...
Stockfish is sometimes also made of other kinds of white fish, like pollock (pictured) or haddock.
It's also the favourite ingredient of...
...young, up-and-coming star chef Siriyaporn "Mymint" Rithisirikrerg from Lofoten. Learn how to make her delicious stockfish cream!
5. What's that SMELL?
It might not be for everyone's nose, but in Northern Norway they say that this is the scent of MONEY!
6. Viking food
Stockfish is the reason people were able to survive so far north and go all the way across the seas to discover Iceland, Greenland, and America, long before Christoffer Colombus.
DNA testing has shown that the Vikings carried stockfish on their expeditions.
The Norwegian word for cod, torsk, comes from the Old Norse "turskr" which is a contraction of "turrfiskr", which means dried fish. Skrei comes from the word skrida, to wander.
7. The stockfish trade built Norway
...and was our no. 1 export item for almost 1,000 years!
The trade with dried fish funded the construction of many coastal cities, like Bergen and Trondheim, including its beautiful Nidaros Cathedral.
8. Hungry for heads
Crushed, dried cod heads are a key ingredient in several of Nigeria's most popular dishes. Very nutritious!
9. Stockfish villages
There are many small, picturesque fishing villages like Nusfjord (pictured), where you can learn more about stockfish. Stockfish even has its very own museum, The Lofoten Stockfish Museum, in Å in Lofoten.
10. How do I prepare it?
First, you need to soak the stockfish for hours in water. Or buy it readymade at a local shop!
Afterwards, you can cook it, grill it, bake it or even use it as topping on your pizza!
Or maybe you prefer it bacalao style?
Stockfish is served in many different ways in delicious seafood restaurants in Northern Norway (scroll down for recommendations!).
Stockfish can also make a really nice decoration!
Experience stockfish nirvana at Anita's Seafood, a very popular informal restaurant in Reine, which is also home to one of the best local food shops in Lofoten.
11. A protein-rich snack
Munch on nutritious flakes of stockfish, just like crisps, available at local shops. The perfect snack for hiking!
PS: you can also buy stockfish snacks for your dog!
12. Stockfish for Christmas
In November and December, you'll see stockfish all over the country. It's the main ingredient in lutefisk, a traditional Norwegian Christmas dish.
And this time the stockfish has been soaked in... lye! (How someone first came up with this weird idea remains a mystery!)
In Mexico, many people also have stockfish (or clipfish) for Christmas, but in a more bacalao-like style!
13. The Stockfish opera
In 1432 the Italian merchant Pietro Querini became stranded on the tiny island of Røst in Lofoten. He brought 60 pieces of stockfish back home to Venice and the locals loved it! Today, there's even an opera about it!
(By the way, Italy remains the biggest importer of Norwegian stockfish to this day.)
Hot tip!
Yes, the fish are very photogenic.
But you might also get a lasting memory if you move under the dripping racks... The "perfume" might last all the way home!
And remember this is food, so do not touch it.
Are you ready for a real foodie and fishing adventure?
You can taste stockfish dishes all year round in Northern Norway.
But for an unforgettable experience you should go during the skrei fishery season, between February and mid April, when the fresh fish is caught and idyllic northern Norwegian fishing villages like Henningsvær in Lofoten are teeming with local life.
The sexy secret...
Fish some skrei for yourself! We can share a method that will help secure your catch ...