GIRALDO

Line-caught in the crystal-clear waters of the Faroe Islands and processed directly onboard, Giraldo’s cod undergoes a meticulous curing process that sets it apart. It is salted for months at controlled temperatures, with each cut carefully portioned to ensure even desalting and a perfectly balanced flavor.

But what truly elevates Baccalà Giraldo to a masterpiece of tradition and quality is its exclusive desalting process: it is desalted only upon customer order, using nothing but still, ice-cold water. This level of precision and craftsmanship makes Giraldo’s cod worthy of its reputation as the cod of masters!

Giraldo Codfish: The Codfish of Masters

It took a journey to Spain to discover that a staple of Italian humble cuisine, codfish, could be transformed into an extraordinary gourmet dish, capable of captivating even the most demanding chefs.

A story of craftsmanship, innovation, and premium raw materials, built on a meticulous production process and a family tradition devoted to quality and environmental respect.

Giraldo codfish is line-caught in the pristine waters of Iceland and the Faroe Islands, then processed onboard using the traditional butterfly cut: the backbone on one side, with two separate fillets. Within 12 hours, it is brought to the salting facilities to preserve its superior qualities. This is where the magic of its preservation process begins: first, it is immersed in water and ice, then brined, and finally coated in the finest quality dry salt.

From there, it crosses Europe to reach Spain, where it is aged in salt for months at a controlled temperature. Only at the end of this long maturation process is it cut into uniform portions to ensure perfect desalination. And this is where tradition meets innovation—moving away from the conventional desalting method of running water.

Ice-Cold, Still Water for Perfect Desalination

To free the fish from its protective salt crust, which has preserved it for so long, Giraldo has chosen to use only still, ice-cold water.

This process is much longer—lasting up to 12 days—but it is far more respectful. By desalting the cod in this way, the fish’s natural gelatin—the alumina that makes up its fatty part and determines its exceptional organoleptic quality—is not lost. Thanks to the low water temperature, bacterial load remains unchanged, eliminating the need for preservative additives.

Is that all? Absolutely not! Once the fish has rehydrated, it is too waterlogged, so it is drained for at least 24 hours in a refrigerated environment. This ensures that 1 kg of codfish is truly 1 kg of codfish. The result? A gourmet product, always consistent in flavor, size, and texture.

Giraldo Codfish: Gourmet Excellence and Culinary Versatility

Before being a company, Giraldo is a family—two Basque brothers, Patxi and Adolfo, nature lovers, gastronomy experts, wine connoisseurs, and champions of uncompromising quality. Their commitment to sustainability and environmental respect is what initially captivated us and continues to inspire us after more than 20 years of collaboration.

Giraldo desalts only upon customer request, and they have dedicated exclusive desalination tanks for Longino, where the process unfolds over 12 days to ensure a product tailored to our standards. After all, we were the first to introduce this excellence beyond Spanish borders.

Thanks to this meticulous process, Giraldo has perfected an exceptional product—the codfish of masters. A versatile ingredient that contains less water than fresh fish—almost a competitor to meat—it adapts to any type of recipe: from a tempura cone for a gourmet takeaway aperitif to a starred-restaurant signature dish. Perfect for any occasion, any season.

Perfect Sapidity and Uniform Flavor? Here’s the Secret Behind Giraldo Codfish

The first Giraldo secret is as simple as water. In fact, it is water. But if you think they use just any ordinary water—because, after all, all water is wet—you’d be completely mistaken.

Giraldo’s water is of exceptional purity and quality, and it is tasted daily to ensure perfect sapidity and uniform flavor in every batch.

Is that all? Of course not. There are more secrets waiting to be revealed, related to temperature and movement: the water Giraldo uses for desalination is strictly ice-cold and never flowing.

  • Ice-cold water prevents bacterial growth and slows down the salt dissolution process—because in this case, "fast and good" simply doesn’t work.

  • Still water soaking ensures that the precious natural gelatin (alumina), which gives the fish its depth of flavor, is not lost in violent rinses.

Finally, let’s talk about precision cuts. Giraldo offers over 20 custom cuts, classified by thickness and weight. The reason? Consistency. Same height, same weight, even desalination—ensuring that every bite has the same balanced flavor, never too salty nor too bland. Simply perfect.

And if that wasn’t enough, Giraldo only desalts upon order, making this codfish not just comparable to fresh fish, ready to use immediately, but a true gourmet ingredient, one that every chef can interpret and personalize