What is Bacalhau called in the United States?

In the United States, Bacalhau is known as Cod.

What is Bacalhau called in the United Kingdom?

In the United Kingdom, Bacalhau is known as Cod.

What is Bacalhau called in Mexico?

In Mexico, Bacalhau is known as Bacalao.

What is Bacalhau called in Argentina?

In Argentina, Bacalhau is known as Bacalao.

What is Bacalhau called in France?

In France, Bacalhau is known as Morue.

What is Bacalhau called in Spain?

In Spain, Bacalhau is known as Bacalao.

What is Bacalhau called in Italy?

In Italy, Bacalhau is known as Baccalà.

What is Bacalhau called in Germany?

In Germany, Bacalhau is known as Stockfisch.

Bacalhau

Fish · Gadidae

Bacalhau in English is Cod. It belongs to the Gadidae family; the names below show how the same fish is sold across international markets.

Joachim S. Müller, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Also called

🇺🇸🇬🇧Cod🇲🇽🇦🇷🇪🇸Bacalao🇫🇷Morue🇮🇹Baccalà🇩🇪Stockfisch

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.

Useful gear for preparing fish

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OXO Good Grips Little Fish Turner

Sliding beneath fillets and turning them with less tearing than a thick spatula.

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$$ · filleting, skinning, and trimming whole fish

Victorinox Fibrox 8-Inch Flexible Fillet Knife

Following the bones and contours of whole fish with a narrow, flexible blade.

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Names by country

Country	Name	Notes
🇺🇸United States	Cod
🇬🇧United Kingdom	Cod	The national fish of the UK — classic fish and chips
🇲🇽Mexico	Bacalao	Almost always sold salt-dried in Mexico
🇦🇷Argentina	Bacalao	Sold salt-dried, used in stews and salads
🇫🇷France	Morue	Morue is the salt-dried form; cabillaud is fresh cod
🇪🇸Spain	Bacalao	A cornerstone of Basque cuisine — bacalao al pil-pil, bacalao a la vizcaína
🇵🇹Portugal	Bacalhauprimary	Portugal's most beloved fish — always salt-dried, said to have 365 recipes
🇧🇷Brazil	Bacalhau	Inherited from Portuguese tradition, sold salt-dried
🇮🇹Italy	Baccalà	Italian name for salt-cured cod, central to Venetian and Vicentine cuisine; fresh cod is 'merluzzo'.
🇩🇪Germany	Stockfisch	Air-dried unsalted cod; salt-cured is 'Klippfisch'; fresh is 'Kabeljau'.

Culinary substitutes

Merluza

Both are mild, white, flaky Atlantic fish from the cod family — hake is softer and more delicate, cod is firmer and thicker.

Loup de mer

Both are mild white fish suited to similar preparations — sea bass is more delicate and expensive, cod is firmer and more robust.

Cabillaud

Same species (Gadus morhua), but treated as different culinary products. Cabillaud is fresh and mild; bacalhau/morue is salted and dried for months, with a concentrated flavour and chewy texture. The dishes built around each are distinct — cabillaud poché vs morue brandade.