Bacalhau is dried, salt-cured cod, a staple of Portuguese cooking and other cuisines with historical ties to the Iberian Peninsula. Portuguese fishermen began salting and drying cod caught off Newfoundland and Labrador starting in the 15th century, a preservation method that let the fish be stored and shipped for months. Before cooking, it must be desalted by soaking in water for at least a day, changing the water several times; once rehydrated it has a firm, flaky texture and a strong salty flavor that mellows with the soak. It appears in dishes ranging from bacalhau à brás (shredded with scrambled eggs, onions, and potatoes) to bacalhau com natas (baked with cream), and is especially prominent at Christmas and Easter.