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Salt cod has been a staple on the Iberian Peninsula for centuries, but in the last few decades overfishing and changes in eating habits have resulted in a significant drop in bacallà consumption. Only recently has the fish begun returning in greater numbers to our tables, and it has also become the focal point for an annual gastronomic celebration: La Ruta del Bacallà.

There’s a popular saying on the Iberian Peninsula that there is one cod recipe for every day of the year, but in truth, the number is upwards of 500. In Spain, there are hundreds of cod recipes dating from the Middle Ages, with a multitude of regional variations. The most notable and sophisticated ones come from Basque country and Catalonia.

In the past, during Lent, Spanish families would substitute meat with other protein sources, such as egg or fish, and salt cod was one of the cheapest and most versatile ingredients, easy to get even in the tiniest, most out-of-the-way village.

More than 20 years ago, the traditional and industrial fishing of cod was beset by risks and challenges – but it was also profitable. Basque and Galician fishermen would set a course for the northwest in shabbily outfitted vessels to face an angry sea and subzero temperatures. Cod populations suffered tremendously from fishing pressure in that part of the Atlantic, but better management has kept populations in the northeast relatively healthy. And today, much of the cod consumed in Spain comes from Iceland (known for having the best-quality fish), the Faroe Islands and Norway. Renewed interest in traditional foods and better fish sources have meant that consumption in Spain has been increasing in the last several years.

In Catalonia, bacallà is sold in specialized shops and market stalls that often stock other salted, smoked and/or marinated fish and even preserved vegetables such as pickles and olives. These are usually run by artisans – traditionally women – many of whom are members of the guild the Gremi de Bacallaners. These artisans are skilled in using the entire fish, butchering it into specific parts for different culinary preparations. They know exactly how long to soak the salted and dried pieces so that they are perfectly desalted.

Noting the growing interest in salt cod, three years ago the Gremi de Bacallaners and Estrella Damm (the largest Catalan brewery) created La Ruta del Bacallà (“The Salt Cod Route”). For a month – this year, it runs February 12 to March 8 – in Barcelona, 30 restaurants, shops and market vendors offer tapas or tastes or create entire menus using this ingredient as the foundation for traditional or inventive dishes.

For this year’s Ruta, we tasted our way through some dishes and visited a few of the markets. We sampled a whole spectrum of cod fritters – big and small, simple to elaborate – at Suculent, La Ramona and Bacalalo, a stall at the Mercat de Ninot. We enjoyed a cod bomb at Vermutería Lou and a very correct traditional bacallà a la llauna (made with olive oil, red pepper and paprika) in the lively atmosphere of the popular Aribau 3. At Gaudim we had a delicate cod platillo (little dish) with pea aspic and wonderful Xixona nougat praline. Did Platets’s perfectly prepared cod was complemented by Santa Pau beans, sobrassada de Mallorca and honey, while Capet offered an Asian-influenced confited cod with spinach and soy sauce, ginger and garlic vinaigrette. The always great Can Pineda put together an amazing menu that included a casserole of tripa de bacalao with beans and artichokes, a confited cod pil-pil (a traditional Basque technique in which olive oil is emulsified with the juices from the cod as it cooks) and sweet Lenten fritters.

While La Ruta del Bacallà provides numerous opportunities and ways to taste one of Spain’s most important ingredients, the deliciousness won’t end next week or even when Lent concludes. Salt cod is increasingly enjoyed all year long.

Find out more about La Ruta del Bacallà at the event’s website: rutadelbacalla.cat

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Published on March 06, 2015

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