Codfish & Christmas

The almighty king of the Portuguese table also pays a visit on Christmas, namely on December 24th.

The almighty king of the Portuguese table also pays a visit on Christmas, namely on December 24^th.

Codfish can be cooked in 1001 different ways, but on Christmas evening it is prepared in a very unpretentious way: boiled with potatoes and the so-called “Christmas cabbage”.

In some regions of Portugal, the remains are cooked on December 25^th for lunch. This mix is called “roupa velha”, literally translated “old clothes”. An historical note: the introduction of codfish in the Christmas menu dates back to the dictatorship period of Salazar, around the 30’s of the 20^thcentury. Codfish as a political propaganda weapon.

Many men have faced the harshness of the cold North Atlantic ocean on board of the mythical cod-fishing ships - the "bacalhoeiros" - so that the Portuguese could have codfish at their tables on Christmas eve. A true Portuguese epic history !