Cod: A Global History

Abstract

My childhood understanding about cod was that it was served either as part of an annual family tradition to be endured (in the form of lutefisk) or with french fries as the main event at a Friday fish fry. Beyond that, I knew that cod was, apparently, a common ocean fish. As I grew older, I picked up a few more tidbits, such as when the collapse of a cod fishery was reported in the media. Cod: A Global History by Elizabeth Townsend has expanded my knowledge and appreciation about this important species of fish, the Atlantic cod. Cod, published by Reaktion Books, is a recent entry in their “Edible” series. On their website, Reaktion described “Edible” as a series “... on food and drink which explores the rich history of man’s consumption. Each book provides an outline for one type of food or drink, revealing its history and culture on a global scale.” There are more than 90 titles in the series, including books about apples, edible insects, and whiskey. The author, Elisabeth Townsend, is based in New England and has been writing about food, travel, and wine for more than 20 years. This is her second book in the “Edible” series. Cod is organized into six chapters, a section on recipes, a select bibliography, a listing of websites and associations, acknowledgements and photo acknowledgements, and an index. Chapter 1 is titled “What is a Cod?” and covers Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) biology, ecology, and food habits. It also is a stage-setter for other topics that will be further developed later in the book, such as the relationships between Viking explorations and dried cod, Basques and salted cod, and the impacts of the global commerce in cod. The biology of cod, e.g., its reproductive systems and abundance, helps inform the cultural aspects throughout the remainder of the book. Chapter 2 (“Cod Fueled the Age of Discovery, 500–1500”), discusses how increasing European populations outstripped agricultural production and helped make fish a more important component of European diets. Viking explorations introduced preserved cod to other areas in Europe and Asia. As local fish stocks became depleted, nations either had to explore for new fish stock or purchase fish from others. Those needs and the establishment of the Hanseatic League contributed to cod being the first large-scale commercialized fish. “Cod Wars and the Expansion of Fishing, 1500–1976” (Chapter 3) goes into how different stocks of cod were found and conflicts that arose between different nations to control those stocks. The author writes about cod fishing seasons and methods that varied by location. She describes how different nations have different taste preferences in preserved cod, with some favoring more salt and others with less. Townsend has a lengthy section on northern New England fishing and a shorter section on the slave trade and cod. She finishes the chapter with the long history of “cod wars” especially in the vicinity of Iceland. The fourth chapter, “Trade Carries Cod Across the Globe, 1490–1970,” starts with how the love southern Nigerians have with stockfish originated about 50 years ago when Norway sent dried cod as aid during the Nigerian Civil War. As Portugal established and expanded their empire starting in the 1400s, they set up new colonies and trading posts and created new culinary traditions in Africa, Asia, and South America. In addition to bringing in salt cod, the Portuguese also introduced New World foods, like maize and potatoes, to their African and Asian colonies. Local cultures, of course, took all of these new ingredients to create their own dishes. Townsend describes favored cod parts and preparations in a range of countries, such as lye-soaked lutefisk in Scandinavia. The author concludes that cod has been a critical food source in international trade since at