Salt cod is the term for salted and dried cod.

Caught in cold, northern waters such as those around Newfoundland and Norway, the fish are immediately filleted and salted onboard the fishing boats and air or sun-dried once on land -- a method of food preservation that has been around for hundreds of years. Salt cod is considered a staple food in many parts of the world including Spain and Portugal.

Overfishing has decimated the cod populations off the coast of Newfoundland, where other species of whitefish (such as whiting, haddock, hake and pollack) are now prepared in the same manner and called stockfish or saltfish.

The Portuguese dish, bolinhos de bacalhau, mixes salt cod with potatoes, egg and parsley. The French dish, brandade de morue, is a mixture of salt cod, potatoes, cream, garlic and olive oil that is served with toast points or crudités.

Related: How to prep salt cod (Cookthink)