Jim,
For some crazy reason or other a lot of Carribean people love salt cod....don't quite understand it since they have lots of local fish available.
Salt cod has quite a history.
Preserved it could last for several years. Vital in survival stocks in an uncertain world when traveling and or colonizing , or just plain dodging the swings of wars and nature....
It rehydrates pretty well compared to other species as well.
Cartier mentioned a thousand Basque fishing boats after cod when he "discovered" the mouth of the St. Laurence and claimed it for France.
.. Cod were not to be ignored ..
South America saw/sees a catfish salted and dried and consumed around Lent. Why that choice , I don't know.
Norway had five grades of cod...
When cod stocks became depleted in a region , substitute species filled in.
Not uncommon today when zander for example is sold as perch.
And perch can be derived from varied other species as well.
What one country calls a perch , may be a very different fish elsewhere. Let alone the cup and ball shuffle within a given country. L.o.l..