Types of Smoked Salmon

Salmon is usually smoked by either hot-smoking or cold-smoking.

Hot-smoking is a process by which the fish is smoked from 6 to 12 hours at 120° - 180°F. The type and size of fish, desired flavor, local tradition, and other factors affect the hot smoking process.

Cold-smoking is done using temperatures of 100°F or less. Cold smoking times range from roughly 24 hours to as much as 3 weeks.

Types of smoked salmon:

American style kippered salmon is chunked, steaked or filleted Pacific salmon that has been brined and hot-smoked.

European kippered salmon consists of whole salmon that has been split, brined and cold-smoked.

Lox is a type of brined, cold-smoked salmon that tends to be saltier than other smoked salmon.

Several geographical designations for cold smoked salmon include Nova or Nova Scotia, Scotch-smoked, Danish-smoked and Irish-smoked. In some cases, these names refer more to a process than an actual area.

Cold-smoked Pacific salmon (usually coho or chinook) is often labeled as smoked salmon without reference to the type of smoking process.

Indian-cure salmon is brined fish that has been cold-smoked for up to 2 weeks until it becomes jerky.

Squaw candy is another type of smoked Pacific salmon consisting of thin strips of salmon that has been cured in a salt-sugar brine before being hot-smoked.

Both hot and cold smoked salmon is popular for making smoked salmon dip, fish chowders, and other recipes.