Then the salmon goes through a period of smoking, not to cook the meat, but to impart flavor. It's smoked at a temperature no higher than 85 degrees Fahrenheit, and once it's done, the texture is ...

Cold-smoked refers to salmon that's smoked at a temperature below 86 degrees Fahrenheit, while hot-smoked salmon is cooked through at a temperature above 145 degrees Fahrenheit.

What’s more, smoked salmon is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, supplying a combined 0.5 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving (1).

Unlike cold-smoked salmon, which is smoked at 50 F to 90 F (10 C to 32 C) for about a day, hot-smoked salmon is processed at at least 145 F (63 C) for more than 30 minutes.

Smoking is a process in which a food is exposed to, well, smoke — with a “cold-smoke” for salmon happening below 85°F, and a “hot-smoke” for salmon happening above it.