This product has found its natural habitat in Mammola and is a precious food, the jewel in the crown of Calabrian gastronomy, once considered food of the poor. The term 'Stocco di Mammola' refers to all the parts or portions of cod (Gadus morhua) caught in the seas of the North (FAO area 27), selected, cleaned and dried naturally in the open air in Norway, imported to Mammola and processed (gutted and rehydrated) with the traditional artisan technique of 'soaking' or 'sponging' using water at low temperature in Mammola from the surrounding mountain springs (Limina). This processing phase consists in rehydrating the fish in cold water and follows the initial slicing of the fins. The Mammola water distinguishes the meat of the stockfish, it is very 'light' (i.e. with a very low fixed residue) and has good mineral components (rich in iron, magnesium, calcium) that have a positive effect on the product, giving it greater preservability, taste and consistency and that can, in a natural way, accelerate and improve the hydration process of the fish.

The parts of the 'Stocco' are named according to the characteristics deriving from the cut and the weight, as follows: 'fin', 'fillet', 'clippings' or 'slices', 'ventresche' or 'ventricelle' or 'ventrelle' (entrails). These products can be marketed for private gastronomic use and catering and are used to make raw and cooked dishes, characteristic of traditional Mammola and Calabrian cuisine in general, according to local or family customs, which can bear the 'Stocco di Mammola - De.C.O' mark. Stocco (stockfish) has centuries of tradition, becoming a typical local dish and one of the most relevant and tasty in popular Mediterranean cuisine and diet, prepared as an appetiser or main course, a component of pasta sauces or served as a single dish accompanied by potatoes and cruschi peppers.