‘Pescestocco’ is the name given to stockfish, cod dried in the cold wind of the Arctic Ocean and exported all over Europe to the Mediterranean.
Before being processed, prepared, and served in various ways, it is soaked several times in running water until it regains its soft, spongy consistency.
After being introduced in the wake of the Normans, stockfish entered the set of salt-based preservation processes – already known by locals since much earlier.
Its use was widespread across Reggio Calabria districts as it entered the diet imposed by the Catholic Church (fasting and abstinence days) and was an excellent substitute for the much more expensive red meat.
The Aspromonte’s calcium-rich waters give local stockfish unique characteristics – snow-white colour and faint aroma – thus, making it a symbolic dish reflecting Reggio Calabria’s metropolitan identity.