Cod packed in olive oil or a sauce, most often from Spain and Portugal where cod, or bacalao, has been a staple for centuries. The texture is firm and flaky rather than oily.

Mild, clean, and less assertive than sardines or mackerel. It takes on whatever it is packed in, which is why you find it in Biscayne sauce, olive oil with garlic, and tomato preparations.

No. Salt cod is dried and cured and needs soaking before use. Tinned cod is cooked and ready to eat, though some producers start from salt-cured cod before canning.

On bread with the oil from the tin, flaked into potatoes or eggs, or stirred into rice. Its mildness makes it the most flexible white fish in the category for cooking.

It depends on the fishery. Several producers carry MSC certification for cod specifically, which is worth checking on the tin, since Atlantic cod stocks vary widely by region and management.