Baccalà (bacala) is Italian for dried cod, known in English as clipfish. Most baccalà dishes require that the fish be soaked numerous times to remove excess saltiness. It is the same word as Portuguese bacalhau, and Spanish bacalao, which are used in similar dishes.

Despite its name, the baccalà alla vicentina, a dish native to Vicenza, is not made from salted cod, but from dried unsalted cod stockfish served with polenta.

Some people say that the best bacala is made by the wonderful cooks of Valle San Giovanni, a small village of about 350 people located 8km from the city center of Teramo. Valle San Giovanni also hosts a holiday rental villa known as Casale. In America people sometimes head to the Italian Kitchen in Pennsville, NJ in search of this Italian taste sensation.

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