What's The Difference Between Lox And Smoked Salmon?

Both smoked salmon and lox typically begin by curing salmon in salt, but smoked salmon involves a few extra steps that result in different flavor profiles, textures, and uses.

Lox refers to salmon preserved by salt, which can be accomplished in a few ways. It can be cured in plain salt, a combination of salt and sugar, or a salt brine with some sugar.

This process can take anywhere from a few days to a few months. Unlike smoked salmon, lox is not actually cooked, and its flavor is dominated by salt.

Smoked salmon begins the same way as lox, but the curing time is shorter than that of lox — typically only a day — which makes smoked salmon less salty.

After brining, smoked salmon goes into a smoker, where it picks up the flavor of whatever wood is being used. Alder wood is a particularly common choice.