Is lox a Lie? No, but it isn’t cold smoked salmon. Here’s how to know what you’re buying. 

What’s the difference between lox and smoked salmon? 

You go into a deli and see on the menu “The lox salmon breakfast bagel is a must try!” Next to it is a photo of a bagel, with cream cheese, and thinly sliced salmon lox - but is it really lox? Odds are, it’s not - so what’s the difference between lox and smoked salmon? Cold smoked salmon uses the entire fillet which is soaked in brine, smoked at a comparatively low temperature for a long time (up to 18 hours), then it’s thinly sliced and packaged. Lox is a traditional item made from the belly of the salmon that has been salt-cured, but not smoked. These days the terminology is being used synonymously, so the easiest way to know if you’re buying lox is to ask if it has been smoked (the answer should be no), and if it’s belly meat (the answer should be yes). Both are delicious options, but if you’re specifically looking for lox, just remember it’s not cold smoked salmon. However, we suggest cold smoked salmon as an alternative - why? Because you’ve likely been eating smoked salmon the entire time. 

While we’re on the subject, let’s clear up any other confusion regarding smoked and cured salmon. Gravlax, like lox, is cured but not smoked. Where lox is salt-cured, gravlax is cured using a mix of ingredients including salt, sugar, dill, and often aquavit and spices.

What makes Organic Ocean’s smoked salmon the best? 

Although both farmed and wild salmon are cold smoked, it is easy to tell the two apart. Wild salmon has a deep red flesh that comes from a diet of shrimp and krill which contains naturally occurring astaxanthin (which is also what turns flamingos pink). The farmed Atlantic salmon is an artificial orange color with broad white fat lines that are derived from the pigmenting compounds that are added to the pellets which they are fed. Wild salmon has a richer and more vibrant flavor, less saturated fat, less calories, and is higher in minerals including potassium, zinc and iron than the farmed variety.

How to Prepare Organic Ocean - Heavenly Smoked Salmon

You can use our Heavenly Smoked Salmon in many different ways. For breakfast, it’s wonderful on a toasted bagel with cream cheese, red onions and capers, or you can get adventurous and add it on to your homemade flatbread pizza with pesto sauce. Add it to crepes, your seafood chowder or mixed in with your scrambled eggs. It’s also popular for sushi rolls, and we recommend adding it to the cart when you’re looking to make homemade sushi rolls. There are so many simple ways you can add this heavenly seafood into your meals.