Cod tongue

Cod tongue (Norwegian: torsketunge) is a delicacy made from the tongue and lower jaw cut from codfish. Cod tongue is a choice variety meat in some cod fishery communities, particularly on the Grand Banks Fishery of Newfoundland, Canada, and in Northern Norway; in Norway, cod tongue is traditionally collected by the youth of the community during fishing season.

Cod tongue

Newfoundland cod tongue
Type	Fish, offal
Place of origin	Newfoundland, Canada Northern Norway
Region or state	Cod fisheries
Associated cuisine	Canadian cuisine Norwegian cuisine
Main ingredients	Cod
Media: Cod tongue

History

Canada

Further information: Grand Banks of Newfoundland

Atlantic cod was a primary export good of Newfoundland since the late 15th century. Cod tongue was a byproduct of fish processing facilities, eaten by locals on the docks. After the collapse of the Atlantic northwest cod fishery and the ban on industrial cod fishing from 1992 to 2024, cod tongue became an object of culinary tourism.^[1][2]: 48

A mechanical cod tongue cutter was patented in Canada in 1980, and Iceland and Norway in 1983. It uses suction to pull the jaw flesh away from the rest of the head, in order to slice the tongue off.^[3][4]

Norwegian child cutting cod tongue

Norway

Further information: no:Tungeskjæring and Lofoten Fishery

Skrei tongue (torsketunge) is a delicacy in the fishing villages of Northern Norway, particularly during the Lofoten Fishery season of January to mid-April. Local children work as tongue cutters (tungeskjærerne) from as early as five years old, processing severed heads from stockfish production. Historically, the practice was child labor, with money supporting the family; in modern times, tungeskjærerne hawk the tongues for personal profit. Children are often encouraged to cut tongues to promote early financial literacy and interest in the fishing industry.^[5][6]

Traditionally, the cod heads are processed by impaling them on a steel spike through the tongue, then cutting the tongue out.^[5]

Aleut boy cutting cod tongues c. 1916

George's Bank cod tongue cutting, c. 1887

United States

Alaska

The collection and preparation of Pacific cod and Alaska pollock tongue in Alaska and the Aleutian islands was attested to in a 1916 US Department of Commerce report. Fresh cod tongue was typically dredged in flour and fried, or else salted and packed in barrels for later use. Cod tongue and sounds were sold together, using Atlantic cod fish bladders for their superior size.^{[7]: 69–70}

Massachusetts

By the 1980s, deep-fried cod tongue and cheek was a delicacy in Provincetown and other fishing ports on Cape Cod.^[8]

Description and preparation

Raw torsketunger at a fish market

Cod tongues typically weigh around 30–40 grams (1.1–1.4 oz); 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb) of gutted cod yields ~10 kilograms (22 lb) of tongue.^[9] The texture of the lower jaw is chewy compared to cod fillet, similar to a scallop or filet mignon. The true tongue is more gelatinous in texture.^[1][5][10]

Cod tongue is traditionally dredged in flour and pan-fried.^[10] Newfoundland cod tongue is traditionally cooked in pork fat with scrunchions.^[1]

See also

• Kokotxas, a Basque fish stew made from a similar cut
• Fish collar