Cold-smoked salmon sliced thin onto scrambled eggs or bread. Norway’s salmon farming began in the 1970s when the Grøntvedt brothers stocked a sea pen at Hitra, turning a wild fish into one of the country’s largest exports.
Cold smoking holds raw fish for hours at a temperature too low to kill anything, so the salt cure and the chilled smokehouse carry the whole safety burden — and commercial production additionally freezes the fish to a specified core temperature for parasites.
What goes into it
- salmon fillets
- salt
- sugar
- alder or beech for smoke
How it is made
The fillets are dry-salted or brined for several hours to draw out water and firm the flesh, rinsed, and dried until the surface turns tacky — the pellicle, which is what smoke sticks to. They are then cold-smoked at under 30°C (86°F) for several hours to a day, so the fish takes on smoke without ever cooking, and matured cold before slicing.
How long it takes: a day to brine and dry, then several hours to a day of cold smoking
How it is eaten
Sliced thin on scrambled eggs, rye bread or blini, with dill and lemon.
History
Norway’s salmon farming began in the 1970s when the Grøntvedt brothers stocked a sea pen at Hitra, turning a wild fish into a global export.
Frequently asked questions
What is Norwegian smoked salmon?
Norwegian smoked salmon is a charcuterie & cured from Norway: cold-smoked salmon sliced thin onto scrambled eggs or bread. Norway’s salmon farming began in the 1970s when the Grøntvedt brothers stocked a sea pen at Hitra, turning a wild fish into a global export.
How is Norwegian smoked salmon made?
The fillets are dry-salted or brined for several hours to draw out water and firm the flesh, rinsed, and dried until the surface turns tacky — the pellicle, which is what smoke sticks to. They are then cold-smoked at under 30°C (86°F) for several hours to a day, so the fish takes on smoke without ever cooking, and matured cold before slicing. It takes a day to brine and dry, then several hours to a day of cold smoking.
Can I make Norwegian smoked salmon at home?
No, and the atlas gives no method for it. Cold smoking holds raw fish for hours at a temperature too low to kill anything, so the salt cure and the chilled smokehouse carry the whole safety burden — and commercial production additionally freezes the fish to a specified core temperature for parasites.
What goes into Norwegian smoked salmon?
Salmon fillets, salt, sugar, alder or beech for smoke.
How is Norwegian smoked salmon eaten?
Sliced thin on scrambled eggs, rye bread or blini, with dill and lemon.
