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Cod tongue

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Cod tongue
Newfoundland cod tongue
TypeFish, offal
Place of origin
Region or stateCod fisheries
Associated cuisine
Main ingredientsCod
  •   Media: Cod tongue

Cod tongue is a variety meat from codfish. Given that cod do not have a tongue nor a basihyal tooth plate[1], the cut actually consists of the boneless flesh of the lower jaw, including the chin barbel. Depending on technique, it is a triangular or V-shaped cut.

Cod tongue is a delicacy in many cod fishery communities: in Basque Country; off the Grand Banks Fishery of Newfoundland, Canada; Iceland; Northern Norway, where cod tongue is traditionally collected by the youth of the community during fishing season; and Portugal. It was historically produced and eaten in other areas, including France and both coasts of the United States.

History

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Across many European countries' fishing industries in cod fisheries, cutting off the cod tongue was how fishermen tracked their individual haul. Icelandic, French and Faroese crews would keep a cod tongue box (Faroese: lippukassan) to track the ship's catch.[2]

When not cut out by hand and knife, cod tongue is usually processed by impaling the cod head on a steel spike through the 'tongue', then cutting the tongue out.[3][4] A mechanical cod tongue cutter was patented in Canada in 1980, and Iceland and Norway in 1983. It uses suction to pull the jaw flesh away from the rest of the head, in order to slice the tongue off.[5][6]

By country

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Canada

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Further information: Grand Banks of Newfoundland

Atlantic cod was a primary export good of Newfoundland since the late 15th century. Cod tongue was a byproduct of fish processing facilities, eaten by locals on the docks. After the collapse of the Atlantic northwest cod fishery and the ban on industrial cod fishing from 1992 to 2024, cod tongue became an object of culinary tourism.[7][8]: 48 

French Canada

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Historically, salted cod tongue was produced by the fishermen of Cape Breton Island (Île-Royale) in the early 18th century.[9]

Cod tongue (French: langue de morue) is a delicacy on the Gaspé Peninsula, both in restaurants and as a home-cooked dish.[10]

Kokotxas al pil pil in green sauce

Iberia

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Basque Country

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In Basque Country, cod tongues (Basque: kokotxas[a]) were consumed since at least the late 18th century, when their import to Bilbao from Portugal was regulated by royal proclamation in 1797.[11]

Queen Maria Christina popularized the dish while living in Miramar Palace. She was known to order cider and cazuelas de kokotxas (cod tongue casseroles) to the palace.[11] The txoko Kanoyetan, a traditional Basque all-male gastronomy club, claims Maria Christina to have attempted entry to the club; she was denied, but given kokotxas as consolation.[12]

A traditional preparation is al pil pil, an emulsion of the gelatin from the tongue with olive oil and herbs. The dish may also be served in green sauce.[13][14][15]

Portugal

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Portuguese consumption of cod tongue (Portuguese: línguas de bacalhau) stems from the long history of fishing in Portugal and increased consumption of fish during periods of Catholic abstinence from meat. While coastal areas had fresh fish, inland regions relied on the offal of salted cod, including tongue, swim bladders (sames), and cod liver.[16]

Cod tongues are a delicacy of Lisbon and are sold salted in bulk, and are served at traditional pubs (tasca). They are typically served fried (línguas de bacalhau fritas).[17]

The cut of the cod tongue is marked with the dotted line, a-b-c.

France

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Consumption of cod tongue in France (French: langue de morue) dates back to the late 16th century: a Jacobin (Dominican) monastery in Bayonne recorded eating them;[11] Gilles de Gouberville in Contentin recorded purchasing them, calling them nooz de mourue [sic] (from English nose). Cod caught as a part of distant-water fishing [fr] in the Grand Banks were salted and brought back to France. French fishermen would parade tongues on sticks to show off their catch.[18]

During distant-water fishing [fr] to Greenland in the 1930s, French fishermen operating with only salt for preservation exclusively kept the cods' tongues and cheeks for sale along with halibut, due to the lack of demand for salted cod fillet; refridgerated vessels kept the whole fish. Distant-water cod-fishing ports at the time included Gravelines, Fecamp, Saint-Malo & Saint-Servan, La Rochelle, and Bordeaux.[19]: 67–68 

Iceland

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Cod tongues (Icelandic: gellur) are a delicacy in Icelandic cuisine. The traditional preparation is boiled with onions and butter (soðnar gellur).[20][21]

Norwegian child cutting cod tongue

Norway

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Further information: no:Tungeskjæring and Lofoten Fishery

Skrei tongue (Norwegian: torsketunge) is a delicacy in the fishing villages of Northern Norway, particularly during the Lofoten Fishery season of January to mid-April. Local children work as tongue cutters (tungeskjærerne) from as early as five years old, processing severed heads from stockfish production. Historically, the practice was child labor, with money supporting the family; in modern times, tungeskjærerne hawk the tongues for personal profit. Children are often encouraged to cut tongues to promote early financial literacy and interest in the fishing industry.[3][22]

The tradition of child tungeskjærerne is declining in some communities, due to the economic pressures of tighter fishery management, greater mechanization, and cheaper migrant labor from Eastern Europe. As a result, local child participation and interest in the fishing industry has waned.[23]

Most cod tongues today are sold to markets in Spain, but other destinations include England, France, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark.[24]


Aleut boy cutting cod tongues c. 1916

United States

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Pacific Coast

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Cod tongue was a valued product during the 19th and 20th century on the Pacific coast of the US, cut from Pacific cod and Alaska pollock caught in the Bering Sea fishery. On vessels with divided labor, tongue-cutters were paid by the pound for tongues; in 1938 during the Great Depression, a tongue-cutter's pay aboard a typical fishing vessel was $7 per 100 pounds cut (equivalent to $156 in 2024[25]), compared to other positions which varied between $0.50 and $3 per ton of gutted cod.[4][26]

Fresh cod tongue was typically dredged in flour and fried, or else salted and packed in barrels for later use. Cod tongue and fish bladders (sounds) were sold together, using Atlantic cod fish bladders for their superior size. Creamed cod tongue on toast was a particular dish served aboard ocean liners.[4][26]

George's Bank cod tongue cutting, c. 1887

New England

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In 19th century New England cod fishing operations in George's Bank and the Isles of Shoals, cod tongue was used as a way to keep count of the catch. Each fish would have the tongue impaled on a spike and cut off to keep track; the rest of the head would be decapitated and dropped into the sea.[27][28]

By the 1980s, deep-fried cod tongue and cheek was a delicacy in Provincetown and other fishing ports on Cape Cod.[29]

Description and preparation

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Raw torsketunger at a fish market

Cod tongues typically weigh around 30–40 grams (1.1–1.4 oz); 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) of gutted cod yields ~10 kilograms (22 lb) of tongue.[30] The texture of the lower jaw is chewy compared to cod fillet, similar to a scallop or filet mignon; the chin barbel is more gelatinous in texture.[7][3][31]

Cod tongue is traditionally dredged in flour and pan-fried.[31] Kaaksjes en keeltjes, lit. 'jaws and throats', is a similarly prepared dish in Belgium.[32]

Newfoundland cod tongue is traditionally cooked in pork fat with scrunchions.[7]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ also kokotz, kokots, kokoz, kolaspe; Biscayan: bizar/bidar, lit. 'beard'[11]

References

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  1. ^ Cannon, Debbi Yee; et al. (SFU Archaeology Press) (2017-04-29). Marine Fish Osteology: A Guide for Archaeologists. Department of Archaeology. Vancouver: Simon Fraser University. p. 9.
  2. ^ Joensen, Jóan Pauli (February 2019), "Lippukassa-Mentan og Sjálvdráttur" [Lippukassa-Culture and Self-Service] (PDF), Frøði (in Faroese), Føroya Fróðskaparfelag, pp. 30–35
  3. ^ a b c Katzman, Mark (2022-01-06), In Norway, Kids Slice Out Cod Tongues for Serious Money, Smithsonian Magazine
  4. ^ a b c Shields, Ed (2021-11-15), Salt of the Sea: The Pacific Coast Cod Fishery And The Last Days Of Sail, Pacific Heritage Press, pp. 131–132, 178, ISBN 1894384350
  5. ^ "Team develops cod tongue cutter" (PDF), The Memorial University of Newfoundland Gazette, vol. 21, no. 9, Memorial University of Newfoundland, p. 3, 1988-12-15
  6. ^ "The Cod Tongue Cutter" (PDF), Project Summary, vol. 9, Canada/Newfoundland Inshore Fisheries Development Agreement, June 1991
  7. ^ a b c Suppa, Carl J (2025-04-08), The Cut of Fish That's Often Thrown Out But Is A Delicacy In Nefoundland, Canada, Food Republic
  8. ^ Newman, Lenore (2016), Speaking In Cod Tongues: A Canadian Culinary Journey, University of Regina Press, doi:10.15353/cfs-rcea.v4i1.223, ISBN 9780889774599
  9. ^ Balcom, B.A. (1984), La pêche de la morue à l'Île-Royale, 1713-1758 [Cod fishing on Île Royale, 1713–1758] (PDF), Direction des lieux et des parcs historiques nationaux (in French), Parcs Canada, p. 80
  10. ^ Brochet, Earl (2016), "Un délice ces « langues de morue »" [A delight of 'cod tongues'] (PDF), Magazine Gaspésie (in French), vol. 53, no. 2, Musée de la Gaspésie, p. 186
  11. ^ a b c d de Arlucea, Ana Vega Pérez (2020-10-30), Historia de una kokotxa (1) [History of the cod tongue (1)] (in Spanish), El Correo
  12. ^ Seminara, David (2016-01-22), Así son los txokos, las deliciosas sociedades gastronómicas del País Vasco [This is what txokos are like, the delicious gastronomic societies of the Basque Country.] (in Spanish), BBC News Mundo
  13. ^ "Kokotxa in Green Sauce". Basco Fine Foods. 2015-11-28. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  14. ^ "Kokotxas | Traditional Fish Dish From Basque Country". tasteatlas.com. Retrieved 2020-04-10.
  15. ^ Groundwater, Ben (2024-03-18), There’s nothing on Earth like this surprising fish dish, The Sydney Morning Herald
  16. ^ "Línguas de Bacalhau" [Cod Tongues], Enciclopédia do Bacalhau (in Portuguese), Centro Interpretativo da História do Bacalhau, 2025-08-30
  17. ^ The other bacalhau dishes you’ve never heard of, Taste of Lisboa, 2025-07-07
  18. ^ Turgeon, Laurier (2019). "Manger la morue, consommer les « Terres Neufves »" [Eating cod, consuming the "New Lands"]. Une histoire de la Nouvelle-France: Français et Amérindiens au XVIe siècle [A History of New France: The French and Native Americans in the 16th century] (in French). Paris: Belin Éditeur. ISBN 978-2-410-01337-5.
  19. ^ Beaugé (1936-02-01). "La Grande Pêche: Islande, Terre-Neuve, Groenland". In le Danois (ed.). Manuel des Pêches Maritimes Françaises [French Sea Fishing Manual] (PDF). Mémoires de l’Office des Pêches Maritimes #11 (in French). Paris: Office Scientifique et Technique des Pêches Maritimes. pp. 48–68.
  20. ^ Því eldri því betra [The older the better], K100 (in Icelandic), bml.is, 2023-04-25
  21. ^ Gunnarsdóttir, Nanna (2025-12-04), Disgusting Food in Iceland, Guide to Iceland
  22. ^ Olsen, Torgrim Rath; Rein, Marit (2013-03-24), Tungeskjærer Kristoffer (11) vasser i penger [Tongue cutter Kristoffer (11) is rolling in money] (in Norwegian), Nordlys
  23. ^ Papacharalampous, Nafsika (November 2020), "Is Skrei a Historical Norwegian Figure? The Nomadic Symbiosis of Fish and Humans in the Lofoten Islands", Relations Beyond Anthropocentrism, vol. 8, no. 1–2, Tribunale di Milano, pp. 97–114, eISSN 2280-9643, ISSN 2283-3196
  24. ^ Jacobsen, Vilmund (2019-10-03), Sker lippur fyri 1200 krónur um tíman (in Faroese), Info
  25. ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  26. ^ a b Cobb, John N. (1916), Pacific cod fisheries:Appendix IV to the Report of the U.S. commissioner of fisheries for 1915, Library of Congress, pp. 69–70
  27. ^ February 1879 : The Deadliest Month for the Gloucester Fishing Fleet, New England Historical Society, 2022
  28. ^ Robinson, J. Dennis (2025-04-22), Digging the Isles of Shoals, New Hampshire Magazine
  29. ^ King, Seth S. (1986-08-24), FARE OF THE COUNTRY; COD, STILL COMMON, AND STILL KING, The New York Times
  30. ^ Svendesen, Anne Mari (2014-02-25), Håvard (14) skjærer tunger og tjener like mye som voksne gjør [Håvard (14) cuts tongues and earns as much as adults do] (in Norwegian), NRK
  31. ^ a b Vokey, April (2019-10-30), Nostril to Caudal: Cutting and Cooking Fish Tongues, MeatEater
  32. ^ Davidson, Alan; Jaine, Tom (2014), "cod", The Oxford Companion to Food (3 ed.), Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780199677337
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