What's the Difference Between Lox and Smoked Salmon?
Lox is a word that gets thrown around (and into a bagel) a lot these
days, but most people would be surprised to find out that although lox
is synonymous with smoked salmon, lox is not actually SMOKED at all. Lox
is taken from the belly of the salmon, and cured in brine – not smoked.
It’s usually salty – VERY salty – unlike the mild flavor of
regular smoked salmon, and can be quite intense.
What we all offhandedly refer to as lox and bagels is actually
cold-smoked and salted salmon (and bagels). It can come from any part of
the salmon – not necessarily the belly, although that is the most
tender section. So how is smoked salmon, you know, smoked? It’s first
cured in salt, then later taken to be smoked. The smoking process of
smoked salmon can vary widely – how much smoke is used, for how long,
what type of wood.
For more info, check out our blog post: All About Lox: A Primer on Smoked Salmon.