History of Dried Fish

The use of dried fish as food dates all the way back to the Viking area. The Vikings known for their long journeys brought dried fish as their main source of food. The light weight of dried fish and the ability to last for a very long time (several years) made this a perfect food to bring along to feed many hungry men.
It is reported that Leif Erikson feed his men dried fish on the journey to discover America.

From Smithsonians, National Museum of Natural History

Throughout history many expeditions utilized dried fish as their main source of food for humans and dogs. Roald Amundson the first man to reach the South Pole, and Fritjof Nansen, first man to cross Greenland on foot, are to world renown explorers that used dried fish on their expeditions.

Dried fish is the oldest export product in Norway. The city of Bergen, the largest city on the east coast of Norway, is founded on the dried fish trading business. Italy is the largest importer of dried fish. 30 other countries are importing dried fish from famous Lofoten, where most of the fishing villages are located. Lofoten has become a very popular tourist destination famous for it’s incredible beauty.

After the fish is dried it can last for years making it perfect for long time storage. Normally fish is caught during wintertime. The climate of the west coast of northern Norway were Lofoten is located is perfect for this process. The Gulf Stream keeps the temperature mild and dry. The waters outside Lofoten never goes below 5 degrees celsius making it a perfect place for the fish to find food and breed.

The first settlers of Lofoten soon found this abundance of fish and settled down to make this their livelihood. Small fishing villages grew up in the many natural harbors in this beautiful archipelago. A fisherman’s life was hard and dangerous and many lives got lost on the sea.
From early times the fishermen noticed how much their pets liked dried fish and since not much other food was available their pets got a plentyof it. Their pets were known to get very old (some close to 20 or above). Visitors often admired their agility and healthy coats. The incredible Lundhund is from Norway. This dog (hund) is the only dog with 6 toes and the only animal (except for reindeer) that can turn its neck 180 degrees. Learn more about this unique dog here.

Dried fish is gaining popularity in Europe as human and as pet food. The incredible concentrated nutrition value of dried fish and the many ways it can be prepared (Italians have close to 1000 different ways to serve dried fish) is making health conscious people interested in this product. The export has been growing steady over the last few years and shows no signs of slowing down.