Dried Fish

Dried Fish
Some like sushi, others like baked, or pan-fried, this is all fine with Acadians, but they also like dried fish.

Many are surprised, and some are mortified by the very idea of dried fish. This practice like many others in our Acadian region stems from the daily activities of our Acadian ancestors.

Fish was a staple for our predecessors and similar to the reason for corned beef, soaking certain foods in salt brine and then letting them cure would help conserve them for later. This system was evidently also applicable to fish.

The fish be it Cod, Haddock, Halibut etc… was caught, cleaned and the skin was often left on. It was then soaked in salt and water, opened and laid flat skin down to dry in the sun. The salt would keep the fish from going bad and the sun would slowly dry it out. The result was fish that would keep for weeks if kept in a dry place.

Today the process is not very different except for the fact that special dryers have been manufactured to dry the fish instead of having them in the sun. Although you can still buy an entire fish skin and all, dry fish can be more commonly purchased in fillets or in packages of bite sized pieces.

You can purchase this delicacy in grocery and corner stores not to mention, local bars in the Clare area. Depending on how dry the fish is, chewing can become a bit hard on the jaws, but it's all worth it to taste the unique flavor of this Acadian favorite.

History & Culture | Food