View source for Stockfish

{{Short description|Air-dried unsalted preserved fish}}
{{Distinguish|text=[[Fish stocks|fish stock]] or the [[South African hake]], known in Afrikaans as 'stokvis'}}
{{For|the chess engine|Stockfish (chess)}}
[[File:Hjell-oversikt.arj.jpeg|thumb|300px|right|Drying flake ('hjell') in [[Norway]]]]
[[File:Drying cod in Å, Lofoten Islands.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Drying cod in [[Lofoten Islands]]]]
[[File:Codfish Drying Flake, Å i Lofoten 20150608 1.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Codfish drying flake in [[Lofoten Islands]]]]

'''Stockfish''' is unsalted [[Fish as food|fish]], especially [[Cod as food|cod]], dried by cold air and wind on wooden racks (which are called "hjell" in [[Norway]]) on the [[foreshore]]. The [[Drying (food)|drying of food]] is the world's oldest known preservation method, and [[dried fish]] has a storage life of several years. The method is cheap and effective in suitable climates; the work can be done by the fisherman and family, and the resulting product is easily transported to market.

Over the centuries, several variants of dried fish have evolved. The ''stockfish'' (fresh dried, not salted) category is often mistaken for the [[dried and salted cod|''klippfisk'']], or salted cod, category where the fish is salted before drying.  [[Salting (food)|Salting]] was not economically feasible until the 17th century, when cheap salt from southern Europe became available to the maritime nations of northern Europe.

Stockfish is cured in a [[fermentation (food)|fermentation]] process where cold-adapted bacteria matures the fish, similar to the maturing process of cheese.

In English legal records of the medieval period, stock fishmongers are differentiated from ordinary fishmongers when the occupation of a plaintiff or defendant is recorded.<ref>Plea Rolls of the Court of Common Pleas; Henry VI; in 1460; second entry, first line http://aalt.law.uh.edu/AALT1/H6/CP40no799/aCP40no799fronts/IMG_0704.htm</ref>

==Etymology==
[[File:Tørrfesk.jpg|thumb|right|Stockfish warehouse in the village of [[Forsøl]], Norway]]

The word ''stockfish'' is a [[loan word]] from [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]] ''stokfisk'' (stick fish), possibly referring to the wooden racks on which stockfish are traditionally dried or because the dried fish resembles a stick.<ref>Kurlansky, chapter 3; ''cf.'' [[OED]] ''s.v.'' 'stockfish': "the reason for the designation is variously conjectured"</ref> "Stock" may also refer to a wooden yoke or harness on a horse or mule, once used to carry large fish from the sea or after drying/smoking for trade in nearby villages. This etymology is consistent with the fact that "Stockmaß" is German for the height of a horse at the [[withers]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

==Importance==
Stockfish is [[Norway]]'s longest sustained export commodity. Stockfish is first mentioned as a commodity in the 13th-century [[Icelandic language|Icelandic]] prose work ''[[Egil's Saga]]'', where chieftain [[Thorolf Kveldulfsson]], in the year 875 AD, ships stockfish from Helgeland in mid-Norway to Britain. This product accounted for most of Norway's trade income from the [[Viking Age]] throughout the [[Medieval]] period.<ref>{{Citation |last=Figenschow |first=Stefan |title=The Rise and Extent of Commercial Stockfish Production and Trade in Medieval North-Norwegian Coastal Society |date=2022 |work=Food Culture in Medieval Scandinavia |pages=75–96 |editor-last=Maraschi |editor-first=Andrea |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/food-culture-in-medieval-scandinavia/rise-and-extent-of-commercial-stockfish-production-and-trade-in-medieval-northnorwegian-coastal-society/9556E86912E6BB87475E044DDFF666A8 |access-date=2024-04-20 |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |isbn=978-90-485-4023-5 |editor2-last=Gyönki |editor2-first=Viktória}}</ref>

Preserved cod fed [[Iceland]] for centuries, to the extent that it has been described as a local equivalent of [[bread]].<ref>Kurlansky, chapter 9</ref>

Stockfish is extremely popular and is widely consumed in Catholic Mediterranean countries, mostly in [[Italy]]. (Stockfish is called ''stoccafisso'' in most Italian dialects, but confusingly ''[[baccalà]]''—which normally refers to salt cod—in the [[Veneto]]).<ref name="Norway-to-Italy">{{cite web | url=https://fromnorway.com/it/articoli/la-differenza-tra-stoccafisso-e-baccala/ | title=La differenza tra stoccafisso e baccalà | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226084220/https://fromnorway.com/it/articoli/la-differenza-tra-stoccafisso-e-baccala/ | archive-date=2018-12-26}}</ref> In [[Russian cuisine]] dried stockfish is a very popular dish which is often eaten with vodka and beer. In the 16th century Russian and Swedish stockfish were sold to many European countries.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cWJgDwAAQBAJ&q=Stockfish+russia+cuisine&pg=PT565|title=World Food: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture and Social Influence from Hunter Gatherers to the Age of Globalization: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture and Social Influence from Hunter Gatherers to the Age of Globalization|last=Snodgrass|first=Mary Ellen|date=2016-06-11|publisher=Routledge|isbn=9781317451600|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/classicrussianco00molo/page/969|title=Classic Russian cooking : Elena Molokhovets' A gift to young housewives|last=Molokhovet︠s︡ |first=Elena |date=1992|publisher=Indiana University Press|others=Toomre, Joyce Stetson.|isbn=0253360269|location=Bloomington|pages=[https://archive.org/details/classicrussianco00molo/page/969 969]|oclc=25093512}}</ref>

==Manufacturing and usage==
[[File:Stockfisch.wmt.jpg|thumb|Stockfish from cod in [[Venice]], Italy]]

The science of producing good stockfish is in many ways comparable to that of making a good [[cognac]], [[Parma ham]], or a well-matured [[cheese]]. Practitioners of the [[Slow Food]] movement insist that all these artisanal products must be made on a small scale and given time to mature.

The fish is prepared immediately after capture. After gutting the fish, it is either dried whole, or split along the spine leaving the tail connected. The fish is hung on the ''hjell'' from February to May. Stable cool weather protects the fish from [[insect]]s and prevents an uncontrolled [[bacteria]]l growth. A temperature just above zero degrees Celsius, with little rain, is ideal. Too much frost will spoil the fish, as ice destroys the fibers in the fish. The climate in northern Norway is excellent for stockfish production, and remains so even with changing climate conditions. [[Dried and salted cod|Salted/dried]] whitefish (''klippfisk'') was more common in the fisheries districts of Western Norway. Further south in Norway, the cod was salted in barrells from the 15th century.<ref>Inderhaug 2020, page 7.</ref>

After its three months hanging on the ''hjell'', the fish is then matured for another two to three months indoors in a dry and airy environment. During the drying, about 80% of the water in the fish evaporates.<ref>Kurlansky, chapter 2</ref> The stockfish retains much of the nutrients from the fresh fish, only concentrated: it is therefore rich in [[proteins]], [[vitamins]], [[iron]], and [[calcium]].<ref>Riddervold 1984, page 24.</ref>

Most of the Norwegian dried cod is exported to Portugal ($244M), Sweden ($76M), Nigeria ($30.5M), Brazil ($29.1M), and Italy ($23.2M).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-product/dried-cod-not-smoked/reporter/nor|title=Dried Cod (Not Smoked) in Norway|access-date=2025-02-02|website=The Observatory of Economic Complexity|language=en}}</ref>
In [[Norway]] and [[Iceland]], the stockfish is mostly used as a snack and for [[lutefisk]] production. In Italy, the fish (called ''stoccafisso'') is soaked and used in various courses, and is viewed as a delicacy.

Low-quality stockfish is also commonly used as supplemental [[pet food|food for pets]], primarily as [[dog food]] or [[dog treats]].

The 2012–2015 project SafeTrackFood developed a method of indoor production of stockfish to accelerate the maturing and drying of the fish in a safe manner.

==Dishes==
{{More sources section|date=May 2023}}
[[File:Baccalà Avigliano.jpg|thumbnail|[[Baccalà alla lucana]]: traditional recipe from [[Basilicata]]]]
[[File:2015 1001 Chinny's broodje bakeljauw.jpg|thumb|A Dutch-[[Suriname]]se "broodje bakkeljauw" in the [[Netherlands]] (a bun with sliced cucumbers and shredded and spiced stockfish)]]
''[[Baccalà alla vicentina]]'', an ancient and traditional [[Italian cuisine|Italian dish]] native to [[Vicenza]], is made from stockfish (confusingly {{em|not}} from [[dried and salted cod]], although the salted form is known in standard Italian as ''baccalà''), and is served on or next to [[polenta]]. In the Italian region of [[Basilicata]], the so-called ''[[baccalà alla lucana]]'' is prepared with typical peppers called "[[peperone crusco|cruschi]]" (dialect word for "crispy").<ref>{{cite web |title=Salt Cod with Cruschi Peppers |publisher=Basilicata cultural society of Canada |date=18 August 2012|url=http://basilicatacultural.ca/home/?recipes=salt-cod-with-cruschi-peppers|access-date=23 February 2014}}</ref> In [[Calabria]], stockfish is widely used, especially in the western side of the region: pasta with stockfish is a staple in Christmas Eve.

Dishes made from stockfish (locally called ''bakalar'') are traditionally eaten on [[Christmas Eve]] in [[Croatia]], especially [[Dalmatia]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

In [[Catalonia]], stockfish is an ingredient of a kind of [[surf and turf]] named [[es niu]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Es niu Palafrugell – Turisme Palafrugell. Gastronomy |url=https://visitpalafrugell.cat/en/gastronomy/gastronomic-campaigns/es-niu/ |access-date=2025-06-12 |website=Visitapalafrugell |language=en-US}}</ref>

Stockfish is popular in [[West Africa]], especially in Nigeria where it serves as a flavor and fish in the many soups like Egusi, Edikaikong, Ofe nsala, Afang, [[Ukazi soup|Ukazi]], Oha, Efo Riro, Okra, etc., that are eaten with fufu meals, such as pounded yam, [[fufu]], and [[garri]] meals. It is the main ingredient in the Nigerian delicacy called "Ugba na Okporoko" or "ukazi" amongst the Igbo, Ibibio, Efik, Annang, Kalabari, Igbani, Ikwerre, etc., people of south eastern Nigeria. Most importers of "okporoko" are based in the town of Aba in Abia State. Among the Nri, Aro, Nkwerre, and Umuahia people, at festive periods, the popular meal is the Ukazi soup which is usually well-garnished with okporoko or [[Cod as food|cod]] as it is popularly called. The [[Kwe people]], who are a fishing people of the English-speaking part of [[Cameroon]], use stockfish in flavoring their [[Arecaceae|palm nut]] or [[banga (soup)|banga]], which can be eaten with a [[Xanthosoma|cocoyam]] pudding called ''[[kwacoco]]''. The name okporoko for stockfish, among the [[Igbo people|Igbo]] of Nigeria refers to the sound the hard fish makes in the pot and literally translates as "that which produces sound in the pot".{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

Both stockfish and salt cod can be made into [[lutefisk]].{{Citation needed|date=February 2021}}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Cod drying in Lyngen.JPG|Cod hung for drying in Lyngen fjord, Norway
File:Stockfisch in Iceland 2005.JPG|Stockfish up for drying in [[Iceland]]
File:Fiskvinnslukonur-1910-1920-kirkjusandur.jpg|Women working with stock fish in Iceland c. 1915
File:Salmon drying. Aleut village, Old Harbor, Alaska, 1889 - NARA - 513089 (cropped).jpg|Indian village showing native method of drying salmon, c. 1888.
File:Stomach of a sea lion used by Aleut natives to store dried red salmon.jpg|Stomach of a sea lion used by [[Aleut people|Aleut natives]] to store dried red salmon
File:Iceland stockfish coa.svg|The [[coat of arms of Iceland]] under Dano-Norwegian rule, [[blazon]]ed "''[[Gules]], a stockfish [[argent]] crowned [[Or (heraldry)|Or]]''", {{c.}} 16th century–1903
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Food}}
* [[Boknafisk]]
* ''[[Bugeo]]'' – similarly dried Alaska pollock
* [[List of dried foods]]
* [[Lofoten Stockfish Museum]]
* [[Yukola]], similar fish drying in Russian Far East and Eastern Siberia

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{Commons category|Stockfish}}
* Inderhaug, T. Stockfish Production, Cultural and Culinary Values. ''Food ethics'' 5, 6 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41055-019-00060-6
* Kurlansky, Mark (1997). ''Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World''. New York: Walker. {{ISBN|0-8027-1326-2}}.
* Silva, António J. M. da, In the Shadow of the Salt Cod. Writing vs Staging the Stockfish History in the Iberian Peninsula, TAE - Trabalhos de Antropologia e de Etnologia, vol. 61, 2021, pp.&nbsp;167–209. [https://www.academia.edu/45146517/In_the_Shadow_of_the_Salt_Cod_Writing_vs_Staging_the_Stockfish_History_in_the_Iberian_Peninsula PDF]
* [https://snl.no/t%C3%B8rrfisk Great Norwegian Encyclopedia: Tørrfisk]
* Riddervold, A. 1984. Lutefisk, Rakefisk and herring in Norwegian tradition. Oslo: Novus Press.

{{Dried fish|state=expanded}}
{{seafood}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Dried fish]]
[[Category:Snack foods]]
[[Category:Fish processing]]