CarneAtlas

CabillaudvsCod

Fish · Same fish, two names

Cabillaud and Cod are the same fish. Different languages, different markets, one species — so a recipe calling for one works exactly as written with the other.

The one fish

Fresh Atlantic cod (*Gadus morhua*) as it's sold in French and northern-European fishmongers — firm, white-fleshed, mild, and flaking into large pearly leaves when cooked. The same species that becomes salted Morue (Bacalhau in Portuguese) when cured for months, but treated as a different culinary entity in fresh form: cabillaud rôti with hollandaise, cabillaud poché à l'huile d'olive, dos de cabillaud en croûte d'herbes, and the bistro classic cabillaud sauce vierge are built around its mild profile and clean separation. Once cured into Morue, the fish reaches a different shelf in the same shop; the recipes change too — brandade, accras, bacalhau à brás. The naming convention reflects this: in modern French, cabillaud always means fresh, morue almost always means cured.

Full guide to Cabillaud

What to ask for, by country

One species, one fishmonger’s counter at a time.

CountryCalled
🇺🇸United StatesCod
🇬🇧United KingdomCod
🇫🇷FranceCabillaud
🇪🇸SpainBacalao fresco
🇦🇷ArgentinaBacalao
🇲🇽MexicoBacalao
🇵🇹PortugalBacalhau fresco
🇧🇷BrazilBacalhau fresco
🇮🇹ItalyMerluzzo
🇩🇪GermanyKabeljau

Browse every species in the atlas on the fish index, or identify one from a photo with Identify my cut.