Smoked Alaskan Salmon Triumph in the Fish Market

By: Sherry Shantel

While the waters of the Atlantic have been devastatingly over fished today for Salmon to be placed onto countless million dinner tables each year, the waters of Alaska are still very well populated with fish due to the fact of the guidelines fishermen have to follow in Alaska. In the nineteenth century almost all commercial Salmon were pulled from the Atlantic. Being canned in New England to be eagerly shipped off to California in the 1840s, and by the middle of the 1860's the tasty delights were actually being produced in California and then carried off to the east!

Today all Atlantic salmon come from Canada or Europe, while the waters of Alaska still teem with fish. This is due to modern methods of managing the seasonal fisheries in Alaska. Of the one billion pounds of salmon produced commercially worldwide, about 70% comes from farms, but not so in Alaska. All Alaskan salmon are wild, living free in the waters of the Pacific Ocean before returning to the rivers where they were born.

Alaska is also the home to over 130 species of predators which also consume Salmon. For this reason among others the Salmon market in Alaska is watched closely for any overfishing that could cause instabilities in the Alaskan environment. This is why there are such vast numbers of the wonder fish today.

Without the salmon not only the people and animals would suffer, but the land as well. When salmon return from the sea they bring back nitrogen so that the trees and plants thrive, benefitting the herbivores also. The best way to honor this salmon gift from the gods is to take only what is needed and use all that is taken. So it was vital to develop a way to store the salmon caught during their breeding runs back up their natal rivers. That is where Alaskan Smoked Salmon comes in.

Smokers will blend different types of wood, the period of time used to smoke, and temperatures to obtain the best tasting fish. Specific woods offered certain flavors to the fish, Alder would give one taste, apple another, and cedar for a third. The time spent smoking the fish affects the flavor as well, and hot smoking produces a more powerful smoke flavor and a much drier fish. Cold smoking will offer a weaker smoked flavor and a more oilier or soft texture.

Different woods give different flavors. The best smokers will blend different species to give just the right result. Alder wood gives one taste, apple another, and cedar a third. The length of time the fish is smoked affects the flavor, as does the cure before smoking. Wet cure means the meat is soaked in a brine solution that contains salt, pepper, sugar and spices. Veteran smokers often keep their precise recipe a secret. Dry cure, a combination of sea salt, sugar and aromatic herbs or fruit, is more commonly used to produce cured but not smoked fish.

Another important fact that must be taken into count while smoking fish is the actually species of salmon. There are actually give different species of salmon which exist in Alaskan waters, and each offers a different taste in the combination of cures and smoking.

In today's market smoked salmon can be found anywhere for the consumer. The local supermarket variety typically is farm raised and cold smoked, but anyone who is a true connoisseur will seek Alaskan Smoked Salmon. Through the process of smoking and curing Alaskan Salmon have been given a flavor which is comparable to that of vintage fine wine.

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Smoked Salmon is preferred fresh, there are various ways to obtain Alaskan Smoked Salmon Carb Buster Kit 6 in the best form even if you live far from the in Seattle. Alaskan Smoked Salmon Gift Sets is a tasty start.

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