Bacalhau and Merluza are different fish, but they're close enough in the kitchen to stand in for one another.
Gadidae
Atlantic cod is a cornerstone of European and North American food culture, with a mild, flaky white flesh that has fed populations for centuries. It is sold fresh as thick fillets and steaks in the UK and US, and as salt-dried bacalhau in Portugal and Brazil — a product so culturally embedded in Iberian cuisine that Portugal alone is said to have a different bacalhau recipe for every day of the year.
Full guide →Merlucciidae
Hake is a mild, white-fleshed fish from the cod family, softer and more delicate than cod itself. It is the most consumed fish in Spain and one of the most popular in Argentina. In France it is known as colin and is a supermarket staple. Its gentle flavor and flaky texture make it suitable for frying, baking, and steaming. Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi) is a related but distinct species.
Full guide →Both are mild, white, flaky Atlantic fish from the cod family — hake is softer and more delicate, cod is firmer and thicker.
| Country | Bacalhau | Merluza |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Cod | Hake |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Cod | Hake |
| 🇫🇷France | Morue | Colin |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Bacalao | Merluza |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Bacalao | Merluza |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Bacalao | Merluza |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Bacalhau | Pescada |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Bacalhau | Merluza |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Baccalà | Nasello |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Stockfisch | Seehecht |
Browse every species in the atlas on the fish index, or identify one from a photo with Identify my cut.