Smoked salmon
[citation needed] In New York City and Philadelphia and other cities of North America, smoked salmon is known as "nova" after the sources in Nova Scotia, and is likely to be sliced very thinly and served on bagels with cream cheese or with sliced red onion, lemon and capers.
[citation needed] In Europe, smoked salmon may be found thinly sliced or in thicker fillets, or sold as chopped "scraps" for use in cooking.
[citation needed] Slices of smoked salmon are a popular appetizer in Europe, usually served with some kind of bread.
In Jewish cuisine, heavily salted salmon is called lox and is usually eaten on a bagel with cream cheese.
[citation needed] Smoked salmon was also a common dish in Greek and Roman culture throughout history, often being eaten at large gatherings and celebrations.
[3] During the Middle Ages, smoked salmon became part of people's diet and was consumed in soups and salads.
[10] Although potassium chloride has a bitter and metallic taste, the saltiness of the smoked salmon might have masked its undesirable flavor.
Pacific species of salmon include chinook ("King"), sockeye ("red"), coho ("silver"), chum ("keta"), and pink ("humpback").
Small circular wood chip fires would be lit at floor level and allowed to smoke slowly throughout the night.
The oldest smokehouse in Scotland is the Old Salmon Fish House built on the banks of the River Ugie in 1585, although not at first for smoking.
[12] Smoked salmon was also brought into London's East End by Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland in the late 19th century.
The oldest salmon smoker in the world, H.Forman & Son, is based in East London and dates back to 1905 remaining within the same family.
In the Pacific Northwest this style of salmon has been used for centuries as a primary source of food for numerous indigenous people.
The proteins in the fish are modified (denatured) by the salt, which enables the flesh of the salmon to hold moisture better than it would if not brined.
In the United States, the addition of salt is regulated by the FDA as it is a major processing aid to ensure the safety of the product.
[citation needed] In British Columbia, canning salmon can be traced back to Alexander Loggie in 1870 who established the first recorded commercial cannery on the Fraser River.
Canning soon became the preferred method of preserving salmon in BC growing from three canneries in 1876 to more than ninety by the turn of the century.
[16] All establishments which process fish for export or inter-provincial trade must be registered federally and implement a Quality Management Program (QMP) plan.
(Note there are "fresh" non-heat treated versions made by smaller local producers that require refrigeration.)
The salmon jerky that undergoes the dry salting method has a tougher texture due to the lower moisture content and water activity.
[26] Because of the high heat nature of which smoked salmon jerky is processed it is a shelf stable product.
[27] Depending on the integrity of the packaging and if preservatives were used, smoked salmon jerky may have an approximate shelf-life of six months to one year.
