For much of Iceland's history this salted cod was worth more abroad than at home — it became one of the country's top exports to Spain and Portugal long before tourism existed.
Fresh cod is heavily salted and pressed to draw out moisture, then dried or kept packed in salt until it's rehydrated by soaking before cooking into stews or fritters. Westfjords fishing villages, built around some of Iceland's richest cod grounds, have salted and shipped it out for centuries.
Why it's made this way: The Westfjords' waters have long been some of Iceland's most productive cod fishing grounds, and salting the catch was what let these remote villages preserve and export far more fish than they could ever eat fresh.
Roughly what's in it
140kcal
30gprotein
0gcarbs
1gfat
Estimated per typical street-vendor portion — not lab-tested.