Smoked salmon is a product made from salmon, they are phile and then will be smoked by two methods: hot and cold smoking. This is a relatively high priced dish.
1. Nutritional value of smoked salmon
Smoked salmon is relatively low in calories while it contains high levels of high quality protein, essential fats and vitamins and minerals. So, is it good to eat smoked salmon ? Firstly, it is necessary to find out the nutritive content of smoked salmon.
In the diet of salmon smoked 100g provides: 117 calories, 18 grams protein, 4 grams of fat, 600 mg sodium, 200 mg of iron, 15% phosphorus (daily value), 26% copper, 59% selenium, 9 % riboflavin, 30% niacin, 16% vitamin B6, 136% vitamin B12, 9% vitamin E, 86% vitamin D , 16% cholin.
Furthermore, smoked salmon is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids . In a 100 gram serving of salmon provides 0.5 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fats are considered essential because the body cannot make them. Therefore, these fatty acids need to be provided from an external diet.
In addition, the two types of acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are important for brain function, heart health and aging of the body.
2. The salt content in smoked salmon
Due to the processing method of smoked salmon, it is high in sodium. 100 grams of smoked salmon contain 600 to 1,200 mg of salt. However, compared to a serving of fresh salmon (100 grams) provides about 75 mg of sodium.
The Institute of Medicine and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends limiting sodium intake to 2,300 mg per day to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend lower sodium intake than the Institute of Medicine and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at about 1,500 mg per day.
Therefore, when consuming smoked salmon , it is necessary to monitor and control to avoid excessive consumption of sodium, especially for people sensitive to salt.
3. Process of processing smoked salmon
Smoked is a processing method to add flavor to processing or preserving food using smoke. It is often used with meat, poultry and fish.
3.1 Smoking process
To smoked salmon, thaw frozen trout, remove the bones and coat with salt, sometimes with sugar. The marinating time lasts about 12 to 24 hours to get rid of moisture in the fish. This is the process of drying salmon.
The longer the process of drying salmon, the more salt is contained in the salmon. However, by absorbing moisture from the fish, salt enhances the taste of the fish, and it acts as a preservative that prevents the growth of harmful bacteria – these bacteria can spoiling fish or causing food poisoning to consumers.
Next, the fillet salmon is washed with water to remove excess salt before turning to smoked. The drying process helps the salmon to have a thin outer layer, which is the protein layer that allows smoke to attach to the surface of the fish better.
3.2. Cold smoked salmon and hot smoked salmon
Salmon can be smoked hot or cold. The main difference between these two methods is the temperature of the smoke.
For cold smoked salmon, the temperature should be 10 to 32 degrees Celsius for a period of 20 to 24 hours. This range of temperatures is not hot enough to cook salmon, so care must be taken during preparation and smoking to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
In contrast, with hot smoking, the smoking chamber must have a sufficient temperature of at least 63 degrees Celsius. The smoking period lasts at least 30 minutes. Most smoked salmon on the market is cold smoked salmon. They will be distinguished from hot smoked salmon based on their packaging.
Cold smoked salmon tends to be smoother and lighter, while hot smoked salmon is more prone to breakage and taste.
Food scientists often recommend not using home smoking methods. Because, maybe they do not guarantee food safety risks. However, hot smoking can be done at home safely if proper equipment and techniques are in place.
3.3. Selection and storage of smoked salmon
While some types of smoked salmon require refrigeration, others don’t require refrigeration only after the packaging is opened. Therefore, the choice of smoked salmon should be carefully checked the product labels to know the storage and storage recommendations of the manufacturer.
Smoked salmon after opening the packaging is refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months.
When choosing smoked salmon products, you should avoid buying smoked salmon with dark colors. These salmon often have an unpleasant taste that should have been removed during packaging. However, it may be because they are left in the final product to increase weight and product costs.