Stockfish

The stockfish has been a staple of the Norwegian economy for centuries. Stockfish are pretty much freeze-dried fish, mostly cod. Freeze dried in this case is very descriptive. Fresh fish are cleaned and cut along the backbone so they can be hung on drying racks in the cold. The fish dry retaining most of their protein and in this dried state can be stored for years. When the dried fish are submerged in a liquid they take on moisture again and can then be eaten in a wide variety of dishes and are stable in many countries. Italian cuisine makes heavy use of stockfish. Supposedly the best come from Norway. 

I admit I was completely unfamiliar with stockfish and I had assumed that drying and storing in salt was the more typical method of preservation. Holding a dried stockfish is very much like holding a dead and dried stick of wood.

The final image that follows is a preparation of stockfish I had at dinner on our boat. A couple of meal options for lunch and dinner always are based on local dishes and ingredients.