Bacalà

“Written by Anna Alberati, the book is a quick trip into the world of Bacalà (or Stoccafisso) in Venice: from the amazement of the Venetian nobleman, merchant and shipwrecked Pietro Querini when he saw on a cold Norwegian island a strange air-dried fish as hard as a stick called Stokfis to the transformation of this into one of the most famous and beloved recipes of Venetian cuisine.

For what is the most intriguing metamorphosis of Stoccafisso, research in the texts of the rich Italian gastronomic literature from the 15th to the 19th century reveals that the first mention of the Bacalà Mantecato compre in 1850, while the testimonies collected by some contemporary hosts and cooks active in Venice recount the different declinations of a ‘very simple’ recipe.

True history, fantasy, religion, sociology, poetry, music, emotion, creativity, the art of cooking: from Stokfis to Bacalà Mantecato.”