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Anyone who has been to a bagel shop in New York City (called the “bagel capital of the world”) knows that even ordering a simple bagel can make you sweat. Where’s the menu? Scrawled on a chalkboard behind the counter. Is there a line? More like a semiorganized mosh pit. My advice? Don’t overcomplicate it. Order the classic: a bagel (yes, you want it toasted) with lox and a schmear.
But even that standard order isn’t so straightforward. A lot of the time, the shop’s cold case is full of different kinds of cream cheese and a bunch of cold, spreadable “salads.” No changes were made to the fish. “We sell 10 different kinds of smoked fish,” says Niki Russ Federman, co-owner of Russ for the fourth generation. “It’s like choosing a wine. ”.
Though lox and smoked salmon are often used interchangeably, they refer to two different products. Do not worry; I will tell you the difference between lox, smoked salmon, and all of their cured pink cousins. Let’s start with the basics:
Though bagels and lox are famous in New York City, especially among Jews, the story begins on the other side of the ocean. NPR says that early Scandinavian fishermen came up with a way to keep salmon fresh in a saltwater brine. This salt cure is very important. Merriam-Webster says that lox is “salmon that has been cured in brine and sometimes smoked,” but real lox is made with only the fatty belly of a piece of salmon and is only salt-cured. Smoked salmon? She’s something else entirely (more on her in a minute).
At the start of the 20th century, most of America’s salmon came from the Pacific Ocean, near the coasts of Canada and Alaska. “Salmon from the Pacific was hauled across the country in bins packed with salt,” says Federman. This kept the fish fresh on the way to New York. Lox, which was cheap, kept well, and was kosher, became a favorite among the city’s Jewish immigrants. Its name is said to come from the Yiddish word laks, which means “salmon.” ”.
This is the type of lox Federman’s great-grandfather, Joel Russ, carried when he opened his shop in 1914. It’s so salty that bagel shops that still make belly lox, as it’s sometimes called, often put a warning on the bag. While Russ’s salt-cured belly lox So, what is the difference between lox and smoked salmon?.
Primarily? Smoke. Preserving fish via smoke is a longtime practice of many Indigenous American tribes. Somewhere along the way, these salt-curing and smoke-curing methods merged, creating another type of preserved salmon.
To make smoked salmon, most people start with a whole side of fish and lightly salt it with a rub or brine. It’s then smoked, preserving it further. Most lox recipes call for at least three days of curing time, and some go up to months. This makes the flavor of the pure oceanic fish stronger. Smoked salmon typically spends just 18–24 hours in its salt solution before hitting the smoker. This means that the second one is less salty but has a strong smell of the wood that was used to cure it longer.
Different producers use different types of wood, smoke at different temperatures, and expose salmon to smoke for different amounts of time. Federman says that these factors affect the taste and texture of smoked salmon. But there are two general methods: Cold-smoking and hot-smoking.
Cold-smoking happens at a lower temperature—typically 75° or below—over a longer time frame, anywhere from 8–20 hours. This method makes fish with a very delicate texture. Federman says that cold-smoked salmon can be cut into slices that are so thin that “you can read the Times through them.” This type of smoked salmon tastes right at home on a bagel or toast with a proper schmear.
Hot-smoking requires less time (about 8 hours) and a higher temperature, usually around 150°. Hot-smoked salmon, also known as kippered salmon, has the flaky texture of cooked fish. A lot of the time, it comes in thick pieces instead of thin slices. For a quick weeknight dinner, it can be used instead of seared salmon fillet. You can use this Smoked Salmon 7-Layer Dip anywhere you’d use cooked salmon. It’s a great party appetizer made with hot-smoked salmon.
These smoking methods can be used for other types of fish too. In delis, whitefish is often sold whole after being hot-smoked, but you can also ask for it to be deboned or flaked. Smoked whitefish salad is another common bagel shop offering. What about gravlax and Nova lox?.
Gravlax is a Scandinavian specialty. Though salt-cured, gravlax isn’t usually smoked like lox. Instead, recipes usually call for a whole salmon fillet, not just the belly. Gravlax is cured with sugar, dill, and often aquavit, which is a neutral spirit flavored with caraway (some use gin or juniper berries instead). This makes the flavor more aromatic and less salty.
When the term “Nova lox” was first used, it only meant salmon from Nova Scotia. Now, it refers to a specific dish made by curing fish in a salt and sugar mixture and then smoking it cold. It’s not quite as salty as belly lox, and its smoke flavor is quite subtle. Much of the smoked salmon you’ll find today is categorized as Nova lox, or Nova for short.
A lot of bagel shops and delis get creative with their cures by adding herbs or spices to the salt mix to make it taste better. Zabar’s, a famous grocery store in New York, sells peppered Nova salmon, which is cured salmon that has been packed with garlic and coarsely ground black pepper. Meanwhile, Russ & Daughters rubs their pastrami-cured salmon with a blend of 14 herbs and spices.
Smoked salmon and lox – two similar sounding names for delicious cured salmon products. But what exactly sets these oceanic delicacies apart? With their subtle flavors and silky textures, it’s easy to confuse smoked salmon and lox. This article will clear up the smoke and mirrors surrounding these iconic fish.
A Salmon By Any Other Name
Even though both lox and smoked salmon come from fish, they are made in different ways. Smoked salmon is cured or brined and then smoked. The fish is cooked and given a light smoky flavor while it is being smoked. On the other hand, lox is cured in a salt brine but isn’t cooked or smoked.
The key differentiator is smoke – smoked salmon gets it, lox does not. Beyond this smoking distinction, lox and smoked salmon do share some cure-related common ground.
The Curing Process
Curing helps preserve and concentrate flavors in salmon and other proteins. There are two main curing methods used for lox and smoked salmon:
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Dry brining involves rubbing the fish with a salt mixture.
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Wet brining entails soaking the fish in a seasoned liquid brine.
For lox, a long wet brine, typically 3 days or more, is employed to deeply season the salmon. Smoked salmon utilizes a shorter wet brine, around 24 hours, before heading into the smoker.
The brevity of the smoked salmon brine leaves it less salty compared to lox. But the smoke gives it a lovely compensating kiss of woodsy nuance.
From Scandinavia to the Deli Counter
Many cured salmon specialties like lox have origins in Scandinavia where cold climate cultures prized preserving fish through brining and smoking. Jewish immigrants brought a penchant for brined fish like lox to cities such as New York.
The growing availability of Pacific smoked salmon via railroad transportation also helped popularize smoked salmon across the country. While lox was traditionally made with salmon belly today’s versions may use other salmon cuts.
Flavor and Texture Revelations
Beyond their divergent paths of preparation, lox and smoked salmon also differ subtly in taste and texture:
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Lox – Very salty from its lengthy brine. Smooth and buttery texture. Translucent appearance.
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Smoked salmon – Lightly salty from brief brine. Flaky texture if hot smoked, silky if cold smoked. Pinkish orange hue.
These preparatory differences make lox ideal for spreading onto bagels and smoked salmon perfect for folding into omelets or serving over salad greens.
Nova and Gravlax Join the Party
Lox and smoked salmon aren’t the only cured salmon options out there. Two other frequently seen varieties are:
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Nova lox – Salmon cured with a salt and sugar blend then cold smoked. Mildly salty with subtle smoke.
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Gravlax – Scandinavian-style salmon cured with salt, sugar, and dill but not smoked. Aromatic and mildly salty.
So if you see Nova or gravlox at the fish counter or on a brunch menu, you now know they fall more into the lox camp – brined but not smoked.
Serving up Salmon Brilliance
However you slice it, cured salmon products like lox and smoked salmon deliver luscious flavor and tender bite. A few serving suggestions:
- Pile thinly sliced lox onto bagels with a schmear of cream cheese and tomato.
- Drape cold smoked salmon over a fresh salad or blini.
- Mix flaky hot smoked salmon into pasta, frittatas, or hash.
- Top gravlax with mustard dill sauce on dark rye toast points.
- Add Nova lox to quiches, egg bakes, and stratas.
With a range of curing and smoking options, there’s a version of preserved salmon for every taste. Lox highlights pure briny salmon zest, while smoked salmon sings of the sea with a serenade of smoke. Either way, these cured fish shine morning, noon, or night. Just follow your senses to smoky, salty salmon bliss.
What should I look for when buying cured salmon?
When shopping for smoked salmon, the first place to look is your local bagel shop or deli, especially if they’re curing in-house. The flavor can vary widely based on their process, aromatics used, whether it’s smoked or not, and even the type of salmon (fun fact: Atlantic and Pacific salmon are two entirely different species). Try a few varieties to find out what you like.
Generally, farmed Atlantic salmon will be fattier and more delicate than wild-caught Pacific salmon, which has a leaner texture and a fishier, more robust flavor. Wild salmon will also be vibrantly coral or pink, while farmed varieties tend to have a muted hue. The most popular option at Russ & Daughters is the Gaspe Nova cold-smoked Atlantic salmon, which has a “melt-in-your-mouth butteriness,” according to Federman. By contrast, the bagel shop’s Western Nova smoked salmon (made with wild king salmon from the Pacific) has a “tighter texture and more assertive flavor.”
When you go to the store to buy cured fish, look for the date that says “freshness.” This date can be anywhere from a few weeks to two months from now. The further out, the better. The best products will only list a few ingredients, like the type of fish and the different spices. There should also be information on the label about where the salmon comes from and whether it was farmed or caught in the wild. For a quick and easy brunch, just grab a bag of bagels, some cream cheese, and your favorite toppings, like tomatoes, red onions, capers, and fresh dill. If you need to feed a lot of people, Russ should be sufficient to feed 6–8 people).
How should I store lox and smoked salmon?
Katz’s Delicatessen, an NYC mainstay, and Russ & Daughters both advise eating lox within 7–10 days. Store any cured fish in the refrigerator in a sealed container. Katz’s also notes that cured salmon lasts up to 3 months in the freezer.
NOVA LOX (aka. Cold Smoked Salmon)
FAQ
Is lox just raw salmon?
Why is smoked salmon called lox?
Does lox taste like smoked salmon?
What’s the difference between nova lox and smoked salmon?
What is the difference between smoked salmon and LOX?
Like lox, cold smoked salmon is raw. In contrast, hot smoked salmon (pictured above) is prepared under direct contact with warm smoke (around 150 degrees Fahrenheit), so the fish is cooked during the process. This leads to a flakier salmon, that looks dull and meaty. What Is Gravlax? Just as the name suggests, gravlax is a style of salmon lox.
What are the benefits of smoked salmon over raw salmon?
It actually has the same characteristics as raw salmon, being relatively low in calories, it is an excellent source of protein, good fat and several vitamins and minerals. The smoking process just adds an aroma.
Are LOX and smoked salmon amorphous?
Many fish fans lump lox, smoked salmon, and Nova into one amorphous category, having never been schooled in what sets each apart.
What makes Nova lox salmon different from LOX and smoked salmon?
Put very simply, nova is almost a combination of lox and smoked salmon. Named for the salmon of Nova Scotia, nova is made via a process of both curing and smoking. The salmon is cured in salt, similarly to lox, but with less salt, for a milder flavor.