ABSTRACT
The prevailing smoking techniques consist of hanging fish in a draft of smoke, which is generated by smoldering sawdust, wood shavings, or the like. Smoke curing processes served primarily for the preservation of surplus food. With the advent of more effective conservation methods, e.g., pasteurization and cold storage, this incipient function of smoke curing lost its importance. Instead, the unique sensory features of smoked products became more important. In general, smoke constituents have boiling points greatly exceeding the temperatures encountered in smokehouses. The volatility of smoke components increases with rising temperature, and depends on their latent heat of evaporation and boiling point. The yield of color development in smoked fish is susceptible to the wetness of the surface. The flavor of smoked foods results from the composite action of smoke constituents, heat and salt, as all these factors induce physical and chemical changes in the product.
