For the Love of Cod

Why Greece's favorite food on Greek Independence Day is fried cod.

In the land of roasted lamb, I was surprised to learn that the traditional dish on Greek Independence Day (March 25th) is not lamb, but fried salted cod.

The dish, μπακαλιάροσ σκορδαλιά/bakaliaros skordalia, is battered and fried salted cod served with a mashed potato garlic sauce.

A sort of Greek fish and chips, if you will.

Greek flags seen on the street on Greek Independence Day.

While the origins are disputed, fried salted cod is most likely the traditional dish because March 25th isn’t only Greek Independence Day, it’s also a religious holiday (the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary). Annunciation, falling midway through Lent, permitted exceptions to dietary rules, and fish and wine were allowed on this day.¹

Salted cod is sold everywhere during the week leading up to March 25th.

To celebrate, we went to a small traditional restaurant next to the Panathinaikos football stadium that opened over 50 years ago. Wine barrels and Panathinaikos jerseys line the inside of the restaurant and much of the decor is unchanged from decades past.

Wine barrels and Panathinaikos football jerseys line the inside of the restaurant.

All 9 of us ordered a portion of fried cod, a mix of other shared plates, and naturally, several liters of wine for the table. Every piece was perfectly battered and fried and all of us cleaned our plates. No cod left behind.

Perfectly fried and battered. Still thinking about the garlic sauce.

A round of fried cod for the table.

After several more liters of wine, we closed out the restaurant, full, happy, and stinking of garlic.

But no one could complain because we all smelled like garlic.

Thank cod for that.

1. https://www.greece-is.com/greek-independence-day-lunch-fried-cod-garlic-dip/