Smoked Salmon
Salmon, the king of fish, glittering and leaping as they fight their way up the rapids of Canadian rivers. It is among the world’s most magnificent and lucrative fish. A lot of you may not know this, Canada is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of salmon. Preserved in so many ways - fresh, frozen, smoked or canned using the highest standards of quality, they are a cornerstone of this country’s seafood industry and exported all over the world.
Historically speaking, the bounty of Canadian salmon helped shape many First Nations cultures. Today, aboriginal communities on both Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Canada as well as North Western America depend on salmon for their prosperity and livelihoods. The Native Americans hold salmon in high respect, and they believe that if someone were to mishandle the fish, the great spirits of the sea would drive the salmon away from the waters.
One might think smoked salmon is a Scandinavian or Welsh delicacy but it is a dish that has been known since ancient times among the Natives. To prepare for the long Canadian winters, they smoke the salmon in order to preserve the fish, a practice that has been carried on since ancient times, even before the pre-contact era. Smoked salmon is freshly caught salmon that undergoes salting and smoking at high temperatures (cold or hot) in order to keep it edible for an extended period of time.
The Story of Salmon People
Aboriginal communities located in northwest North America are among the oldest known fishing cultures in the world. Without the salmon, many aboriginal communities would have been hard-pressed to live in this part of the continent. Salmon was crucial to their dietary, social, economic and cultural needs.
The Coast Salish
The Coast Salish is a group of ethnically and linguistically related Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast, living in British Columbia, Canada and the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. They depend on salmon as a staple food source, as they have done so for thousands of years. Salmon has also served as a source of wealth and trade and it is deeply embedded in their culture, identity, and existence as First Nations people of Canada. Traditional fishing is deeply tied to Coast Salish culture and salmon were seen "as gift-bearing relatives, and were treated with great respect" since all living things were once people according to traditional Coast Salish beliefs. Salmon is seen by the Coast Salish peoples as beings similar to them but spiritually superior.
Traditional salmon motif on knitted sweaters.
This relation of respect and reciprocity with salmon translated into rituals of cultural significance such as the First Salmon ceremony. The celebration would likely last up to ten days, taking the time to celebrate allowed for a major portion of the salmon stocks to return to their rivers to spawn. It was believed that the runs of salmon were lineages, and if some were allowed to return to their home rivers, then those lineages would always continue. This system is maintained through cultural practices which also indicate sustainable fishing practices - leaving enough salmon in the water, respecting their habitats and ensuring people who depend on it can maintain their livelihoods. For example, the gift-giving feast “potlatch” (where we get the modern day term potluck from) functions as a 'monitoring device' through which the sustainability of a title-holder’s fishing practices is repeatedly assessed by esteemed members of the tribes. Fishing salmon was not a distinct occupation but was instead integrated to the cultural and religious laws of these communities which involved aboriginal governmental institutions, legislative bodies and intricate economic systems.
The Cowichan
There are several well known folklore and origin stories that illustrate just how vital salmon were to First Nations, and while it is a story involving a Coastal First Nation, it could as easily apply to any number of interior First Nations whose villages were often located at or near where fish harvesting and curing activities took place. One such example is the Cowichan people of southeast Vancouver Island, they belong to the Coast Salish indigenous group and they tell the story of Syalutsa, the first man to fall from the sky. Syalutsa, along with his wife and children, subsequently made his home on the banks of the Cowichan River. Soon after, Syalutsa built a weir in the river in order to catch fish. But day after day, when Syalutsa journeyed to the weir he found no fish trapped behind the wooden structure spanning the river.
Coast Salish totem pole illustrating traditional reef net fishing, two Salmon storyboards and two cedar-strip canoes were dedicated by members of the Lummi Nation and the Saanich Nation.
Then one day Syalutsa placed his baby daughter into a wooden basket that he floated on the river. After securing the basket by a long cedar bark rope to the weir, Syalutsa waded out of the water and returned home. The next day when he returned, he found the cradle-basket floating empty. While his daughter had been sacrificed to the river, Syalutsa discovered that the trap not too far distant was filled with salmon, more than enough to provide for his family. Syalutsa’s daughter was gone, transformed into a salmon. And from then on, Syalutsa’s descendants, the Cowichan people, were forever favored with returning salmon.
If you ever travel to this part of the world, you will also see Salmon being presented in cultural symbols like Totem poles, canoes and oars. In Totem Poles it is present as a symbol of life, abundance, prosperity and nourishment. It is also represents dependability and the renewing cycle of life, through its death the salmon sustains many other beings and still returns every year providing sustenance for humans and other animals
Commercialization and Conservation
Throughout the pre-contact era and for some time after, the fishing technologies the aboriginals favored had a conservation component to them, as described above. In other words, they allowed for both the capture and release of salmon. Originally, smoked salmon was made from wild salmon habituating the coastal waters, but commercial overfishing has caused the shift in the 20th century, and today most smoked salmon is farmed. With the arrival of canning technologies and commercial fishing industries, the fishing practices of Coast Salish people were severely marginalized and altered. They could no longer fish without licenses and became wage workers. Cannery operators considered Indigenous people to be at most "helpers" in the industrial fishery. As "helpers," they were paid only for their labour, and not for the sale of their resources. This was yet another example of how the natives have been systematically disenfranchised from their way of life and resources that belonged to them. Though the government has established treaty rights for Coast Salish people to fish for food, it is still greatly regulated by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans with restrictions as to what kind of gear can be used, the hours and days during which gear can be deployed, and the particular species that may be targeted.
To learn more about Smoked Salmon and the culture of Salmon People, here is a docuseries by Munchies. And to learn about how smoked salmon is made, here is another video by Mashed.
Fun Fact!
Did you know the term "salmon" comes from the Latin word “salmo”, which in turn might have originated from “salire”, meaning "to leap". A worthy name for a fish that is known to jump up to 2 metres in the air to cross obstacles in rivers. That is about as high as a female Olympic athlete can jump (if you don’t believe me look up Yelena Slesarenko).
Today, smoked salmon is an integral part of the Canadian and Pacific North Western diet. And although it is considered a luxury item, steady supply has maintained the prices at relatively the same levels they were years ago, making it an accessible food item. Smoked salmon is a highly versatile delicacy and easy to enjoy, one of the reason being it’s resiliency as a cured food product.
My favorite way of eating smoked salmon is on a fresh bagel (if it’s a Montreal bagel even better), packed with cream cheese, topped with deliciously decadent smoked salmon, few capers and thinly sliced red onions. I decided to take a page from my go to brunch pick and turn it into a canapé to highlight this beloved Canadian delicacy. Of course, I also have a tendency to challenge myself when it comes to the culinary arts, so I came up with several different ways to “smoked salmon crostini”. Hopefully, when the pandemic is over (any day now), this is definitely going to be a fun appetizer on my menu for the next party I host.
Recipe: Smoked Salmon Crostini
Serves: 3-6
Crostini
Baguette - sliced 1/4 inch thick, about 20-25 slices
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 3/4 cup
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on two large rimmed baking sheets; brush both sides with oil. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes (if undersides are not browning, turn crostini over once during baking). Let them cool on baking sheets.
Now time for the smoked salmon to shine!
Classic
Crème Fraîche, Smoked Salmon, Red Onion, Capers, Dill
Caviar
Crème Fraîche, Smoked Salmon, Caviar, Dill
Avo Toast
Sliced Avocado, Smoked Salmon, Sunny Side Up Egg, Chili Flakes
Egg Salad
Crème Fraîche, Cucumbers, Smoked Salmon, Egg Salad Mix, Chives.
Note: Egg Salad mix includes coarse chopped boiled egg, mayo, mustard, and black pepper
Hawaiian Poké
Roasted Seaweed, Mashed Avocado, Chopped Smoked Salmon, Furikake, Spicy Mayo (optional)
Mediterranean
Hummus, Smoked Salmon, Parsley, Jalapeño, Feta, Lemon
Italian
Pesto, Smoked Salmon, Cherry Tomato, Chopped Basil, Crumbled Feta, Balsamic Vinegar.
Everything but the Bagel
Whipped Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon, Red Onion, Chopped Pickles or Cornichons, and of course everyone’s favorite Trader Joe’s Everything but Bagel seasoning.
Well, there you go folks!
My favorites were the Avo Toast, Egg Salad and Caviar, in that order. I live in Los Angeles and I have succumbed to the ways of a valley girl so you know I looooove my avocado toast. It gets featured quite regularly on my personal Instagram on Sunday’s. And then I am also a #EGGSLUT (no, not the infamous hipster brunch spot in LA, Meee!), lol it’s no wonder all three of my favorite crostinis have eggs incorporated somehow. I do have to say I was pleasantly surprised with the Mediterranean and Hawaiian inspired smoked salmon crostinis too.
These are just mere guidelines. There are so many ways to enjoy smoked salmon so feel free to be creative and put your own twist into it. If you do recreate them and come up with your own versions, you know what to do, tag me @thespiceodyssey on Instagram and/or Facebook.
