The Lofoten fishery is the largest fishery for North Atlantic cod. When millions of Skrei (migrating cod) make their way toward Lofoten, the fishing boats follow. The docks come alive with activity — from cod tongue cutters to the stockfish drying racks.

The Lofoten fishery is one of nature’s true wonders. Every year, around Christmas, millions of Skrei (Gadus morhua) — mature, migrating cod — begin their journey from the Barents Sea to Lofoten. Their goal, apart from seeing the world, is to spawn in the perfectly tempered waters surrounding the islands. After spawning, the Skrei swim back north to the polar seas. The eggs — and later the tiny cod fry — drift with the ocean currents from Lofoten northward, eventually returning to the Barents Sea. A Skrei must be at least five years old before it’s strong and large enough to swim the long journey to Lofoten.

Every morning, local fishermen head out to the Lofoten Sea to see if the fish are biting — using gillnets, longlines, jigs, or Danish seines. The fish are delivered fresh each day to the fish reception facilities. There, they’re sorted and weighed. The roe is extracted and salted with sugar to become caviar, while the liver is sent to regional cod liver oil producers. The milt is frozen and shipped to key markets in Asia. You’ll often see local children and teenagers eagerly cutting out cod tongues to earn pocket money — and at the same time, they’re learning about fisheries and work culture. Cod tongues are a true delicacy in Lofoten.

The cod heads are threaded together on ropes and hung to dry, developing a strong aroma that is especially prized in Africa, particularly Nigeria. What remains of the Skrei — the parts that cannot be used — is sent for processing and turned into nutritious fish feed for the aquaculture industry.

Skrei is processed for three main markets: it can be sold fresh, salted, or dried. If the fish qualifies for the official Skrei label and there’s demand for fresh fish, it’s shipped both within Norway and across Europe. Weather plays a big role in determining whether the fish should be salted or dried. If temperatures drop below freezing, the fish can freeze while drying, damaging the meat. That’s why daily decisions are made about how the Skrei should be processed. If it’s too cold — or the fish are too large to dry properly within three months — they’re salted instead, and often end up in markets in Portugal, Spain, or Brazil. Deep knowledge of weather, wind conditions, temperature, and humidity is essential for fish buyers.

There is significant value hanging out to dry. Buying and producing stockfish is a cornerstone of local business, employment, tax revenue, and youth work — especially on the islands of Værøy and Røst.

Lofoten has a unique microclimate for drying fish, which is why you see stockfish racks placed in breezy, open-air locations. Over the three-month drying period, the region experiences a mix of snow, rain, sun, and wind. If you look closely, you’ll see the fish are hung with their backs facing the southwest rain and their bellies — open — turned toward the northern wind. When the drying process is complete, about 75% of the water has evaporated from the fish. At that point, it’s brought indoors for sorting and final maturation.

There are more than 20 different quality grades assessed by trained inspectors and their teams. The stockfish is roughly sorted and stacked for additional drying. Each and every fish is inspected multiple times from the moment it’s caught to when it’s ready to be sold.

Food Culture

In Lofoten, eating stockfish has become increasingly common — especially in restaurants. Traditionally, and in local homes, boknafisk (a half-dried version of stockfish) is considered a regional delicacy. For those who enjoy a stronger flavor, Hjellosing is a popular choice.

On a flavor scale, Skrei (fresh, migrating cod) is the mildest. When you eat a dish made with stockfish, the fish has usually been soaked in water for about a week to rehydrate. Even among stockfish dishes, there are taste differences — for example, some stockfish is dried without the backbone (rootskjær), which results in a milder flavor. Whole round stockfish, dried with the backbone intact, develops a deeper taste along the spine during the drying process.

Stockfish production is actually a fermentation process that lasts over three months. The most intense fermentation occurs in the early stages, which is when you can enjoy local specialties like Hjellosing (very strong flavor) and boknafisk (distinct flavor). Once the fish has matured in storage, it becomes what we know as traditional stockfish.

Stockfish can be eaten as a snack, commonly found in kiosks and shops. You can also buy “pot-ready” stockfish in selected grocery stores — this pre-soaked stockfish can be prepared in a variety of ways: baked, fried, boiled, or grilled. In restaurants, stockfish is often featured on the menu. It has typically been rehydrated in water for about a week, then prepared with different accompaniments and in a range of styles — and it’s a favorite among many guests!

History and Trade

People didn’t settle in Lofoten just because it’s beautiful — they came for the region’s rich natural resources. People have lived in Lofoten for over 5,000 years. No one knows exactly how long stockfish has been produced here, but drying is the earliest known method of preserving both meat and fish, allowing food to be stored for long periods.

We know from Egil’s Saga that the Vikings brought stockfish with them on their journeys — meaning it has been part of Norwegian trade for more than 1,000 years. In fact, stockfish is Norway’s oldest export product that is still traded today. Among the many goods of value, stockfish was especially important for the income and trade access of the chieftain at Borg (in Lofoten).

Stockfish is mentioned in historical sources from Viking times, from southern Italy, and more recently through the writings of the Venetian merchant Pietro Querini. It has left its mark all along the Norwegian coast.

Stockfish played a vital role in taxation in Trondheim and even helped fund the construction of the Nidaros Cathedral. Bergen became a major trading hub in the Middle Ages, where the Hanseatic League prohibited foreign trade north of the city — turning the Bryggen wharfs in Bergen into a central marketplace for stockfish. If you look at the different quality categories of stockfish today, you’ll find names that trace back to Hanseatic cities like Lub (Lübeck), Bremer (Bremen/Bremerhaven), and Hollender for the Dutch market. The Italian and Croatian markets were — and still are — major consumers of stockfish. Quality grades include names like Ragno, Westre Ancona, Westre Piccolo, and Italia Grande. In the Middle Ages, stockfish became a key ingredient during Lent, when meat was forbidden.

Even today, stockfish remains a crucial part of Italian food culture. It’s the main ingredient in Baccalà alla Vicentina, one of Italy’s five official national dishes! You can taste local stockfish recipes at restaurants across Lofoten or during one of the many local stockfish festivals.

The Term “Stockfish”

Stockfish is a collective term for all types of dried fish. The organization Tørrfisk fra Lofoten AS manages both the Norwegian and European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for stockfish. This designation serves as a guarantee and certification that the stockfish is produced from day-fresh Skrei, caught and landed in Lofoten or Vesterålen. “Stockfish from Lofoten” is also a guarantee that the product is handcrafted and air-dried in Lofoten using minimal energy.

Protected Geographical Status

Stockfish from Lofoten was granted Norwegian protection in 2007 and became the first Norwegian product to be certified by the EU, in 2014.

Tørrfisk fra Lofoten AS is an alliance of stockfish producers in Lofoten. When you see the label “Tørrfisk fra Lofoten” along with the Protected Geographical Indication seal, it’s a guarantee that the product meets strict criteria: made from locally caught Skrei, air-dried outdoors in Lofoten, and carefully quality-graded by experts.

Lutefisk

Did you know that most lutefisk is made from stockfish? The island of Værøy produces the majority of the lutefisk sold in Norway. That means the starting point for Norwegian lutefisk is stockfish certified as Stockfish from Lofoten.

The stockfish is soaked in pure, clear water from Lofoten for several days, then placed in lye, which causes the fish to swell and develop its distinctive flavor. On the final day, the fish is returned to clean, flowing water to remove the lye.

In Lofoten, the most popular variety is “round” lutefisk — made from whole fish — which retains a touch of the fermented flavor along the backbone. In Eastern Norway, the boneless fillet version is more common.

Lutefisk is always served with potatoes, but the side dishes vary depending on where in the country you are. In Lofoten, it’s traditionally accompanied by a type of pea mash, fried pork belly, and crispy bacon.

The smell of stockfish, the seaweed and shoreline, the wind, sun, and rain on your face — these are the same natural forces that season our food and turn Skrei into stockfish. The cultural landscape here is deeply shaped by a rich and living food tradition.

When you visit, we hope you’ll take the opportunity to truly taste Lofoten.