
So I placed an order with a company called Delícias for some Portuguese food and it included a pack of salted cod. The Cod was in a bag with a sticker (Autocolante) on it and the word “Crescido”. I was curious about this. It’s the past participle of “crescer” so it means “grown”. Did that mean the cod was grown and not just a little codling? Mrs Colin didn’t know and I couldn’t quite think what to put into Google to get the answer, so I asked around and sure enough, yes, it refers to the size (“Tamanho”-quite a useful word!) of the cod when it’s caught. Bacalhau can be Miúdo or it can be graúdo or it can be especial jumbo.
I’ve since found this page listing various sizes and grades of Bacalhau caught in various parts of the ocean. Crescido seems to be at the lower middle range of the scale. So now you know!