I don’t tend to eat much fish, but in the supermarket earlier I saw some smoked salmon which didn’t need cooking, and some salmon fillets which did. They looked the same really - both ‘raw’. I decided to buy some of the fillet. It was nice, but a very different flavour from when I’ve tried smoked salmon in the past. The cooked fillet was quite chicken-y with a slight earthy/fishy taste, whereas smoked salmon has a very strong fish flavour.
Why do they taste so different? And why is smoked salmon safe to eat without cooking when other smoked fish do need cooking?
Smoked salmon looks “raw” largely because it is raw. It has never been heated.
Smoking the fish does indeed give a very different flavour to non-smoked fillet. That shouldn’t be any great surprise.
Why is it safe? Well good quality raw salmon is also safe (see sushi). But the smoking does have an effect of preserving the fish and making it less of an environment where bacteria would thrive.
Smoked salmon looks “raw” largely because it is raw. It has never been heated.
I am curious about the process of smoking without heat.
Smoking is an ancient method of preserving food. It imparts a smoky flavor which many people enjoy (though some do not). The advantages of smoking vs cooking include being able to smoke large amounts of food efficiently using racks and potentially less and/or cheaper fuel, and greatly reduced risk of burning the food (or the racks, which may be made of wood in a primitive/camping context).
While smoked meats are what we often think of, many foods can be smoked including vegetables, herbs, spices, and almost anything if you like the flavor it imparts to the food.
Smoking does also cook the food, only slower. Also, some people do eat raw or undercooked meats as a culinary choice. It does increase the chances of acquiring food borne parasites if the meat is undercooked.
@Boozilla Smoked trout is the only trout based food I know that doesn’t smell like satan’s unwashed genitals.
Low heat for long time = safe
High heat for short time = safe
High heat breaks down more compounds in meat and makes colors change
This really shouldn’t be the top rated comment. Cold smoked salmon is smoked at 15-25°C for about half a day. If temperature were the key, you would achieve the same effect by just placing it on the countertop overnight.