Frequently asked questions: is smoked salmon cooked?

Is smoked salmon cooked? The answer to this question is contingent on the method of smoking employed. If the salmon is hot-smoked, then it is indeed cooked. Conversely, if it is cold-smoked, it remains uncooked. One is a fully cooked delicacy, while the other retains a degree of rawness.

Both preparation methods typically involve a process known as wet or dry brining, where raw salmon undergoes curing to infuse it with its famously smoky flavour, as explained by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The transformation occurs in special ovens where wood chips are burned to smoke the fish.

According to Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS), hot-smoked salmon is smoked at a temperature of between 70 and 80 degrees Celsius (158 to 176 degrees Fahrenheit). In contrast, cold-smoked salmon, which requires three to four days to process, is smoked at a temperature no higher than 33 Celsius (91 Fahrenheit). Thus, cold-smoked salmon is unequivocally uncooked – a fact that accounts for its translucent appearance and silky texture. Hot smoking, on the other hand, produces cooked flesh that offers a flakier look and a smokier taste.