What is Cod?
Cod is a round fish which lives in cold / salt water and is generally wild caught but can also be farmed. The majority of Cod is caught in the North East Atlantic. When it comes to seasonality, Cod tends to be available all year round from the North East Atlantic, but will be more abundant in the Autumn and Winter months. Smaller Cod are known as Codling.
Cod fish have a medium texture of flesh and a lower oil content than fish such as mackerel. The flavour is medium. Cod is usually sold in fillet format. Alternative species with a similar texture and taste to use instead of Cod would be Haddock, Pollock or Coley. “
Latin Name
Cod is a round fish which lives in cold / salt water and is generally wild caught but can also be farmed.
Seasonality
Cod is available all year round but is more abundant in the Autumn and Winter months.
Alternatives
If Cod is unavailable or you are looking for an alternative, Haddock, Whiting and Pollock are good alternatives to Cod.
Popular Cod Questions
Are Cod worms dangerous?
“No matter how carefully fish is inspected by processors, caterers and retailers, some worms will occasionally be discovered in fish by the consumer. There have been cases of human illness caused by the ingestion of live Phocanema or Anisakis larvae in countries where raw or lightly cured fish is commonly eaten. By 1980, there had been only one reported case of illness in the UK caused by larval round worms from fish; this is because in the UK fish products are normally cooked before consumption. This information has been taken from notes prepared jointly by the Marine Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and the Torry Research Station of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.
How do you kill a Cod worm?
According to the Marine Laboratory of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland and the Torry Research Station of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foo; Phocanema and Anisakis larvae are killed in 1 minute at a temperature of 60°C or over. In practice this means that cooking a fillet 3 cm thick for 10 minutes at 60°C will kill any worms present.
Where is Cod fish caught?
Cod fish is caught all around the UK. Atlantic Cod live in colder waters in the North Atlantic and Pacific Cod live in the east and west of the Northern Pacific. Along with locally caught, British and Irish landings of cod, the majority of Direct Seafoods Cod is caught in the North Atlantic, with Iceland being a major supplier.
What does Cod fish taste like?
Thanks to traditional fish and chip dinners, Cod has been the UK’s favourite fish for many years! This is thanks to its bright white flesh, distinctive yet subtle flavour and firm, large, succulent flakes. Farmed Cod has a distinct milk-like aroma which goes through to its flavour, starting sharp and softening to a sweeter taste. Wild Cod has a firm flesh with large flakes which, when cooked, fall apart easily. Wild Cod has base notes of floury potatoes with a taste of dill followed by a subtle oceanic taste.Pacific Cod is more subtle in flavour than Atlantic Cod.
Cod Recipes & Videos
Squid Ink Risotto, Cuttlefish, Crispy co*ckles & Fried Borettane Onions
Deep fried Cod and Monkfish bites served with grilled lemon, traditional mushy peas, tartare sauce and chips
Watch our video guide on how to skin a Cod fillet / round fish fillet
Watch our guide on how to prepare supremes (Cod)
