Smoked Salmon
Smoked salmon has been around for centuries. Ancient civilizations first smoked fish as a means of preserving it for the long winter months. These days however smoked salmon is considered a luxury and people all over the world cherish it for its delicious smoky flavor.
Smoking is the process of salting and smoking fresh salmon that are under 3 years of age at high temperatures. This process preserves the freshness and flavor. Smoked salmon is either dry cured or wet cured. Most of the smoked salmon available commercially today is farm-raised & wet-cured, which means it is marinated in salty, spicy brine before smoking.
Two techniques are used when smoking wet-cured salmon; cold-smoking & hot-smoking, with cold smoking being the most common technique. The difference lies in the temperature and length of time they are smoked. Cold smoked salmon retains more oil, is smooth in texture and has a mildly smoky taste. Hot smoked salmon tends to be very dry and much smokier in flavor than cold smoked varieties. Larger fish are smoked longer than smaller specimens and their taste will depend on both the type of salmon & smoking technique.
Smoked varieties include:
- Balyk:
This term refers to smoked tenderloin salmon fillets. Hand-cut and lightly smoked, it is the best smoked salmon. Preferred by smoked salmon connoisseurs, Balyk smoked salmon is a delicious delicacy.
- Alaskan Smoked Salmon:
Alaskan Salmon (king salmon) that has been prepared using the traditional Native American method of hot-smoking. Depending on the brine it was marinated in its texture can vary and it usually has a mild smoky taste. For more information about Alaskan varieties please refer to the accompanying article on salmon from Alaska.
- Lox
Today the term lox is used to describe any salmon that has been smoked and doesn't necessarily refer to a specific smoking technique. However, in the 19th century lox was used to describe Pacific salmon that had be marinated in a heavily salted brine mixture. There was no smoking involved and the end result was usually overpoweringly fishy in flavor and smell.
- Nova:
Wet-cured, lightly salted, farm-bred varieties are referred to as nova smoked salmon. Named after the Nova Scotia wild salmon, nova smoked varieties have a mild flavor and don't taste overly salty.
- Gravadlax:
Smoked salmon prepared using the traditional Scandinavian method of submerging the fish in a mixture of herbs, sugar and dill, then filleting and cleaning it before lightly smoking it.
Thanks to the numerous smoking and curing methods, along with the various species of salmon, there are a wide variety of gourmet smoked salmon products on the market today. I would suggest trying as many as possible before buying the same variety twice, as each is a pleasure in itself.
Beyond the great taste, smoked salmon is also very healthy for you. Salmon contains omega-3 oils which are known to have several health benefits, including improving blood circulation and helping to prevent heart attacks. It is also very high in vitamins and nutrients as well as high in protein and low in fat.
You will find the widest variety of smoked salmon available online through fresh seafood suppliers and specialty food stores. Before you buy seafood online I recommend contacting the supplier via email to confirm their customer service is quick and helpful.
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