Smoked Salmon

Perhaps the most popular of smoked foods, originally done for preservation, but since the days of refrigeration, done mostly for flavor or texture. The salmon first undergoes a curing stage, in which salt simultaneously penetrates the flesh and draws out the moisture, which hinders the growth of bacteria that will spoil the fish. Cold-smoking temperatures range between 70° and 90°F (21° and 32°C), producing milder, raw-textured flesh. This process, when used for the duration of a day to several weeks, will preserve the fish by drying it. Hot-smoking temperatures range between 120° and 180°F (49° and 82°C), producing fuller flavors and thorough cooking, ensured when the internal temperature is maintained at 145°F (63°C) for 30 minutes. The flavors of hot smoked fish are dependent on the characteristics of the wood burned, such as alder, maple or apple wood, all common types used to smoke fish.

Hot smoking can be used to produce salmon jerky, the sweet-salty version of which is called Indian candy or salmon candy. Another name for this type of jerky is squaw candy, a controversial term because the word "squaw" is considered offensive by some. Squaw is the word in the Massachuset language for "woman", but detractors say that the word has been used as an insult to belittle Native American women since European settlers first encountered them hundreds of years ago. The term "Indian candy" is considered only slightly less offensive, and "salmon candy" considered the best alternative. The term Indian-smoked salmon often refers to salted, hot-smoked salmon, but is also sometimes used as a synonym for Indian-cure salmon, or salmon that has been brined and cold-smoked for up to two weeks, yielding another form of chewy jerky.

Kippered salmon is the name given to salmon that has been scored or cut into chunks and soaked in a mildly salty brine, then hot-smoked. It is also the term for salmon that has been dry-salted, then painted with a flavoring mixture (usually brown sugar and rum) then hot smoked. See also lox, salmon, smoked food.

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