Bacalhau Chowder

A trip to a local Mexican grocery store netted a dried-salted, cod fish or bacalhau. After a 20 hour soak to remove excess salt, the kids and I used it as the sole ingredient in tonight's fish chowder dinner. Bacalahau, also called clip-fish, is wonderful; need to buy more.

The firm, flesh tastes clean with surprisingly different levels of salty goodness depending on the amount of direct contact with the soaking water. Flavor variability makes each new bite unexpectedly vivid.

It's exciting to eat such an ancient food. The Europeans, especially Portuguese, brought this to the new world 500 years ago. I'm proud that my children are willing to explore such new foods.