Smoking

Smoking is an age-old process used to preserve foods. It was employed to aid preservation of meats, fish, and poultry in conjunction with salting and drying and to develop flavor. Preservation techniques have advanced significantly, but smoking is still used to preserve, impart flavor, and add texture to different foods. The basic process and tools for smoking foods have remained unchanged through the millennia.

Smoking originated in prehistoric times, most likely in several regions of the world independently. That smoke could impart a pleasant flavor and improve the keeping quality of meats and fish was probably discovered in conjunction with dehydration techniques and the use of wood-fueled fire to cook foods. Wood smoke helps dehydrate and sterilize foods and introduces characteristic flavors. The flavor and color of the smoked product depend considerably on whether the wood used is hard or soft, wet or dried, in the form of chips or sawdust. Hardwoods are used predominantly; softwoods are added to enhance color.