One of the key foods for sailors in the Age of Sail was salted meat: it's one of the reasons the Portuguese became so powerful, because they cornered the cod fisheries in the North Atlantic, and cod salts up really well.

The enormous reliance on salt cod and salt pork and whatever gave rise to scurvy, hence the use of limes, and hence the term "limey" to refer to a British sailor.

For reasons that I have yet to figure, we always had pilot bread (hardtack) in the house as a kid.

So I'd eat it while pretending to be on a ship, or otherwise adventuring.

Pemmican is actually pretty tasty, IMHO. I mean, I wouldn't want to live off of it, but I would snack on it now and again as a kid.

For reasons that I have yet to figure, we always had pilot bread (hardtack) in the house as a kid.

Yeah, it's big in Canada (esp. Newfoundland) and Alaska. Apparently you need it for some Canadian meal called "fish and brewis" which also requires something called "scrunchions."

Scrunchions - is that what they make scrunchies out of?

Now I want bacalhau.

Scrunchions - is that what they make scrunchies out of?

Yes! If you make your scrunchies out of fried bits of salt pork.

Now I want bacalhau.

It's traditional for Christmas and does use salt cod.

fun salt meat fact. The ancient Roman soldiers were not vegetarians. The idea that they were got started because of stories of legions complaining when being given meat rations instead of barley. They complained about being given meat, not because they did not eat meat, but because they were sometimes given meat rations when they were short of salt to preserve it, and risked getting sick when the meat went bad. Fresh meat to be cooked immediately, or meat for extended use when there was salt available was fine with the legions.

It's traditional for Christmas and does use salt cod.

I know.