it was in 1843 that the first shipment of cod arrived to brazil, directly from norway, which began to spread the fish throughout the country, and gave them a solid base to adopt the bolinhos de bacalhau as soon as they discovered the recipe.

bolinhos de bacalhau are a tricky dish to make, which involves many intricate steps, and a fair amount of patience, which is why the dish is most often found in the many bars and restaurants of the city, rather than at homes - in addition to this, the fishy smell influences many to simply go out and indulge in a restaurant or botequim.