Bachalau

Bachalau, the Portuguese fiel amigo

Bacalhau com Natas. source: Portugal the simple life 

The Portuguese call codfish a “fiel amigo” or faithful friend. This love affair with “bacalhau”, as cod is known in Portugal, goes far beyond the wonderful dishes served throughout the country. Bacalhau is a national symbol and metaphor for the Portuguese way of life, where a long history of sacrifices and conquests walk hand in hand.

The seas surrounding Portugal are abundant with sardines, but these could not be salted making it hard to store and carry on long voyages.  Codfish, on the other hand, was not found native to the coastline of Portugal and was fished from the distant and dangerous frigid waters of the North Atlantic.

The first people to fish for cod were the Vikings, who preserved the fish by letting it dry whole, without gutting, in the open sea air. It was only during the Middle Ages that they began preserving it with salt, which they bought from Portugal and paid for with cod. An advantageous exchange for the Portuguese, who had plenty of salt to sell. The consumption of salted cod quickly spread throughout Portugal due to its low cost and easy transportation.

Cod and other white fish have very low levels of oils making them suitable for salt preservation. Portuguese explorers back in the 14th century found that dried and salted cod could be kept in the ships holds for literary years, and fresh supplies could be obtained from the oceans during voyages. Small wonder then that Bacalhau became a staple part of the Portuguese navy's diet from 1497.

source: LisbonLisboaPortugal

Off the coast of Newfoundland, vast quantities of cod could be easily caught. Portuguese fishermen in the 16th century used to fillet and sundry the fish on shore before bringing the haul back home. That practice stopped when the British prevented Portuguese fishermen from coming on shore but didn’t stop the resourceful Portuguese from storing the cod in large barrels of saline solution to transport them home where they could be cleaned and dried unhindered in the cool dry areas of the country. 

Archive photo. source: Portugal the simple life

Bacalhau had a resurgence during the early 20th century under Salazar's dictatorial regime of the “Estado Novo",  when it designated a key food commodity for labourers and industrial workers. In Lisbon, pompous ceremonies were carefully planned by the fascist government to bless the fleet of boats, known as "lugres bacalhoeiros" before they embarked on a 6-month-long perilous voyage, many with first-time sailors. 

Archived photo. source: Portugal the simple life

It was hard work! Cod fishing was done traditionally, using a single-man boat called a "dóris" thrown into the sea. They were forced to row away from the main ship hundreds of metres, sometimes two or three miles, to manually fish with lines and hooks. Each one fished alone for 8 to 10 hours until their small boat was loaded with cod, often surrounded by freezing winds, strong waves and icebergs. After returning to the ship, they had to continue their work on deck and in the hold, where the cod caught had to be immediately scaled and salted.


Inevitably fewer returned each time, but the steep blood price was rarely discussed. The government launched a program called "Campanha do Bacalhau”, to control the prices, guarantee cheap and disciplined labour, provide financing for ships and monitor imports. This maintained a constant supply and was the only constant source of protein for many working families who undertook a marketing campaign promoting cookbooks that made it easy to prepare different dishes. It made for fitting propaganda to celebrate the bravery and courage of the cod fishermen who sailed off to the icy waters of Newfoundland and Greenland, and in the process, it spawned a thriving industry.  

One legacy, which turned out to be largely a myth, was that there were 365 ways to cook bacalhau - but this is just a number albeit a very inflated number to match each day of the year 

Bachalau in a Lisbon supermarket

Today you can find Bachalau in every supermarket though the prices are not quite as affordable, it has ensconced itself into the Portuguese psyche who don't mind paying premium prices for this delightful treat

Some popular Bachalau dishes

One of the more appetizing Bacalhau dishes is called Bacalhau com Natas (Bacalhau and cream), a rich and creamy potato baked dish served as the main course of the “Consoada” (Christmas Eve dinner). 

source: LisbonLisboaPortugal

Pasteis de Bacalhau is an appetizer or light meal in which the Bacalhau is formed into croquettes.

Bacalhau à Brás. source: BigLar

Bacalhau à Brás originated from the Bairro Alto district of Lisbon and combines shredded Bacalhau with thinly cut potatoes bound together by scrambled egg.

References

1. Salt of life: the bond between Portugal and cod. (2021, January 29). Portugal Simple Life. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://www.portugal-the-simple-life.com/post/portugal-and-codfish
2. Bacalhau Salted Cod Fish Portugal. (n.d.). Lisbon Lisboa Portugal - the Best Independent Guide to Portugal. Retrieved May 21, 2024, from https://lisbonlisboaportugal.com/Lisbon-information/Bacalhau-salted-cod-fish.html