Fish, air and time.
Stockfish — tørrfisk in Norwegian — is fish dried naturally outdoors, without added salt. Cod is the best-known raw material, and the coastal climate of northern Norway, particularly Lofoten, has shaped this preservation tradition.
Cool air and wind gradually remove moisture from the fish during winter and spring. Unlike clipfish, which is salted before drying, stockfish is preserved through drying alone.
Normar Seafood sources directly from approved Norwegian suppliers. Preparation, drying, grading and packing take place at the producers. Documentation available on request.
From fresh cod to dried fish
The production process
Preparation & hanging
Prepared fresh. Hung in pairs.
At the producer, the fish is bled, gutted, headed and cleaned. The fish are paired and tied together at their tails before being hung over wooden drying racks, known as hjell.
Hanging exposes the fish to the coastal air. Careful preparation and suitable drying conditions are important: the fish must lose moisture without spoiling. No salt is added.
Natural outdoor drying
The coastal climate does the drying.
The fish remains on the racks through the drying season. Cool temperatures and circulating air gradually draw water from the flesh, leaving a firm, concentrated dried product.
Producers follow the weather and the condition of the fish throughout the process. Drying time varies with fish size and local conditions, so the process is not defined by a single fixed number of days.
Maturation, grading & packing
Finished indoors. Graded by hand.
After outdoor drying, the fish is taken down from the racks, collected and brought indoors for further drying and maturation. Experienced graders assess individual fish for characteristics such as size, appearance, smell and dryness.
The producer sorts and packs the stockfish to the agreed specification. Normar coordinates the enquiry, quotation and direct delivery from the Norwegian producer; species, size, grade, packing and availability are confirmed on request.
Two Norwegian preservation traditions
Stockfish or clipfish?
Stockfish is air-dried without salt. Clipfish is both salted and dried. Both methods reduce moisture, but they produce different textures and require different preparation before cooking.
The distinction matters when specifying the product for your market. Tell us which product, size and grade you need, and we will confirm the specification with the producer.
Salted fish & clipfishDiscuss your stockfish requirements.
Send us the species, size, grade, volume and destination you need. Product catalogue and supplier documentation available on request.
Contact our team