Iberian fishermen were a major source of codfish in post-medieval Europe. Mainly it was the Portuguese that caught, salted and dried these fish, providing a major source of protein to Europe. The cod were caught on the Grand Banks, raising the question: Where were they salted and dried?

It had to be on land somewhere. You can't dry fish on an open boat, and fresh fish won't last a day without refrigeration. So where? Well, Newfoundland is the land closest to the Grand Banks.

Portuguese fishermen had to have landed in Newfoundland prior to Columbus's first voyage. Codfish were familiar in Portugal and Spain well before the 15th Century, and this has huge implications for primacy of discovery of the New World. The Portuguese explorer João Vas Corte-Real may have reached Newfoundland prior to 1470, beating out Columbus. And a Muslim Spaniard, Khashkhash Ibn Saeed Ibn Aswad, a native of Córdoba, sailed east discovering new land in 899, well ahead of Leif Ericson. It may have been he who tipped the Portuguese and Spanish to the new fishing grounds.

So, who discovered America?

In any event, Cod has long been an important food south of the Pyrenees, although with the collapse of the Grand Banks Cod stocks, the best cod is becoming scarce and expensive. So I was surprised and delighted to run across this store just off the Puerta del Sol:

This store sells nothing but dried, salted cod. In New York, it might be called "Just Cod," but in Madrid, it's called La Casa del Bacalao—The House of Cod. Hmmm.

For anyone unfamiliar with dried cod, the flavor and texture is superior to the fresh fish. Iberian recipes often combine dried codfish with potatoes and onions, sometimes adding tomatoes and capers. Real comfort food, and you can get it right here in Madrid.

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In Mexico, the expression for "hot dog" is—"hot dog." Kind of disappointing to see loan words used here, when a transliteration into Spanish could be so delightful.

Well, in Spain, they didn't miss the boat.

Perritos calientes. ¡Perfecto! What a great name.

You can see the heavy hand of the Spanish Royal Academy here. Gotta keep the Language pure. Can't be letting any foreign words in. Especially not Ingles.

Someone should clue the Academy in. There's what—maybe 40 million Spanish speakers in Spain. There's at least 350 million in Latin America, and that's not counting Miami. Latinos are all so busy trying to communicate with the English-speaking world that they'll bend their language any way that works. Don't believe me? Just check out the auto wreckers' yards near Nuevo Laredo. The ones with the signs saying Yonke (pronounced "JON-keh"). No, on the left side of the ocean, the Spanish Royal Academy is irrelevant.

Perritos calientes indeed. Taste just like hot dogs.