If ever a food needed a brand overhaul, it is salt cod.

Because nothing about that name inspires cravings. It actually sounds like something you spread on an icy walkway to keep people from slipping. But salt cod actually has a rich history, especially in Portuguese and Spanish cuisines, which treat this simple ingredient with near reverence.

Salt cod is what it sounds like – cod fillets that have been preserved with salt. A lot of salt, in fact. So much so, the salt must be flushed from the fish before eating. This can be done several ways. The most basic is to rinse the cod under cool running water, then submerge it in a bowl of water and refrigerate for 12 hours. The result is a tender, yet meaty fish that has a pleasantly solid texture (closer to a satisfying steak than to a fillet of fresh cod).