Baccalà

Stockfish, or dried cod, has been one of the typical dishes of the region of Veneto for centuries. That’s how Francesco Marcolin got to know this fish and fell in love with it: the exquisite white flesh of the fish used to be eaten on Friday Fast, a meatless day according to Christian tradition. Driven by a great passion for this fish, which is called salt cod or klippfish when it is packed in salt, the Marcolin delicatessen shop started successfully producing different versions of salt cod. That’s how the BACCALA’ (Italian for salt cod) brand was born. this company offers not only traditional salt cod spread, but also revisited salt cod recipes with red hot chilli pepper, olives or truffle. Only high-quality ingredients are selected to prepare these little jars. That’s why Stefano, one of Francesco’s children, goes every year in person to the Lofoten islands, in Norway, to purchase Gadus Morhua, the best stockfish in the world.

The little gastronomy shop of Francesco Marcolin opened its doors in the historic centre of Padua in the 80s and it can still be found in the gallery below the “Palazzo della ragione” town hall, where one of the most ancient markets in the world has been held since the Middle Ages. In this place steeped in tradition and history, Francesco Marcolin revisits the flavours of tradition and combines them with an audacious modern cuisine, creating unique products.
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The company has now become a family company, since Francesco was able to pass down this great passion of his for good cuisine and Italian gastronomy on to his children that now also share a love for genuine products and high-quality ingredients. By seeking new flavours that could be incorporated into traditional cuisine, Francesco Marcolin and his shop have gained renown for producing refined and delicious stockfish products.