What is the main message of Cod?

The main message of Cod is the historical significance and impact of the cod fish on the world.

How long does it take to read Cod?

The estimated reading time for Cod is several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

Who is the author of Cod?

The author of Cod is Mark Kurlansky.

Nature & the Environment

Cod Book Summary - Cod Book explained in key points

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Cod summary

Name: Cod
Rating: 4.3 (58 reviews)
Author: Mark Kurlansky

Mark Kurlansky

A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World

4.3 (58 ratings)

14 mins

Brief summary

Cod by Mark Kurlansky is a historical and cultural study of the impact of cod fishing on the world. The book explores how this once abundant fish has shaped economies, diets, and cultures across the globe, and the consequences of over-fishing.

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Table of Contents

Cod
Summary of 6 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 6

What’s in it for me? Get hooked on cod.

Over the last few decades, cod has become a luxury fish, often served as fillets in fancy restaurants. There was a time, however, when cod was a humble and inexpensive fish. Native to the Atlantic Ocean, the cod can measure up to two meters in length and weigh as much as 100 kilograms. It’s not difficult to catch, often staying in shallow waters close to the coast. So what makes the story of this large, vulnerable fish so fascinating?

Well, for one thing, without the cod, many a long sea journey would have been much more difficult. But most of all, it’s such a gripping story because the cod, once in abundance, is now almost extinct. It’s the story of conflict over food resources and how modernization can have negative effects on both ecology and society. It’s a plunge into the deep waters of human food history.

In these blinks, you’ll find out

how salt made cod a seafarers staple;
why the cod had a significant role for the Catholic Church; and
which tiny nation changed maritime and fishing laws to protect a valuable resource.

This is a Blinkist staff pick

“Having fished a lot of cod as a kid, I was thrilled to learn what an important role this once-so-common fish has played in shaping world history.”

– Erik, Editorial Production Manager at Blinkist

The Basque people were the first to introduce North American cod to Europe.

You probably like your fish prepared in a certain way, be it fried, steamed or grilled. But when it comes to cod, many countries, especially those in southern Europe, are traditionalists. They simply eat it salted.

This tradition dates back to the Basque people, the earliest fishers to catch cod. They would preserve the cod by salting it – a technique that turned out to be key in exploiting this invaluable resource.

The Basques are a relatively small population of people from modern-day northwest Spain; they’ve always been independent, maintaining their own language, sports and culture.

They originally set sail for North America in search of whale meat, which was in high demand in Europe. But, along the way, they discovered cod. They cured this fish with salt, thereby furnishing themselves with food on their long journeys.

In Europe, the only places to find cod were in Scandinavia and Iceland, and since the Basques were never seen there, nobody knew where they caught their cod. The European Vikings were already dry-curing their cod, but the salt that the Basques added to the process made the fish last longer and taste even better.

While salted codfish provided food for the Basques as they continued their North American journey along the coast of what is now the United States and Canada, it also made them wealthy back home.

Since the Catholic Church didn’t allow people to eat meat on days of fasting, people chose fish instead, and the Basques made a lot of money selling cod to Catholics.

Also to their advantage, the Basques were the only ones who knew where to find cod along the coast of North America. They managed to keep this a secret for a while – no easy feat, considering how profitable cod could be.

But it wasn’t long before the secret got out and conflict over the fish began to brew.

The desire for cod led to many conflicts in both the old and the new world.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, other explorers discovered Newfoundland, now part of eastern Canada, and the Basques’ cod secret was revealed.

Soon, everyone was rushing to get a piece of the fishy action.

The invention of longline fishing increased production but also endangered the cod.

For a while, fishing remained a traditional practice with few innovations. All that changed, however, when the French invented longline fishing in the nineteenth century.

Basically, longlining is a technique where a small boat, called a dory, drops a long fishing line that sinks to the bottom. Along this line, at three-foot intervals, are lanyards with hooks. Floating barrels were used for buoys so that the fishermen could find these lines again.

The invention of the steam engine and frozen food forever changed industrial fishing.

Most people know that the invention of the steam engine led to the Industrial Revolution; less known is how it also transformed the fishing industry.

In the nineteenth century, European waters were already quite empty and it was difficult to catch fish anyway, so the Europeans were the first to test the new steam technology in their boats.

Depleted fish populations inspired Iceland to make a bid to expand national fishing zones.

Overfishing is a topic still debated today. Even at the turn of the twentieth century, people already knew it was a problem – and Iceland was prepared to fight it.

Around 1900, the British discovered that the number of cod in the North Sea had been depleted, so they turned their attention to Icelandic waters, leading to several conflicts.

North American cod has become a scarce resource but measures have been taken to get the fish back.

When it comes to fishing regulations, other countries haven’t been as wise as Iceland.

While they took measures to protect their cod, other countries, especially in North America, have continued to overfish.

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What is Cod about?

Cod (1997) charts the rise and fall of the codfish. A major commodity in the European market during the discovery of the New World, cod went on to cause national conflicts and, due to overfishing, eventually became vulnerable to extinction. Find out how this fish changed the world only to end up on the verge of oblivion.

Cod Review

Cod (1997) by Mark Kurlansky is a captivating exploration of the history and impact of the codfish. Here are three reasons why this book is worth reading:

Through meticulous research and storytelling, the book sheds light on the role of cod in shaping the world's economies and cultures.
Blending science, history, and politics, the book provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking look at the importance of this seemingly ordinary fish.
With its intriguing anecdotes and surprising revelations, the book keeps readers engaged and entertained, proving that the history of cod is anything but dull.

Best quote from Cod

In Spanish, Italian and Portuguese the word for fresh cod doesnt exist. Instead, the word for salt cod – bacalao, baccalà and bacalhau – is used.

—Mark Kurlansky

Who should read Cod?

Foodies interested in the history of seafood
Conservationists curious about the dangers of overfishing
Students of marine biology

About the Author

Mark Kurlansky is an American journalist who has written a number of fiction and nonfiction books. His international bestseller Cod has been translated into 15 different languages. His other works include Salt and World Without Fish.

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Nature & the Environment

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