ABSTRACT

This chapter describes the key functional properties that influence the quality of smoked, cured, and dried fish. Functional properties such as taste, smell, appearance, freshness, and shelf life in the case of smoked, cured, and dried fish are some of the parameters that are assessed by consumers in their determination of the quality of the product. Quality indices of dried sea foods vary with how the products are consumed. Smoking gives an appealing smoked color and smoky flavor to the fish. Browning reactions, lipid oxidation, the action of endogenous enzymes, and microbial activity may all contribute to the development of a new flavor profile in dried fishery products. Considerable attention has focused on the importance of lipids to the nutritional value of fishery products. Repeated cold ethanol extraction and extrusion of minced fish are used to gradually remove water and lipids from minced fish and create a beeflike texture.