Smoking is the process of flavoring, cooking, or preserving food by
exposing it to smoke from burning or smoldering material, most often
wood. It is an ancient method of preserving food using wood smoke. It is
believed to be almost as old as the use of fire itself.
Smoking is still widely used in fish and meat and some other foods. The
smoking process allows cured meats, poultry, game and
seafood to be subjected to smoke in a controlled
environment. The smoke is produced by smoldering hardwood chips,
vines, herbs, fruit skins, or spices.
While smoking process, some reactions occur between food and smoke.
After smoking process, a second covering shell occurs in food or meat
products. Smoking operation which adds some volatile compounds to the
product inhibits bacterial growth and gives a specific taste to
the product. This smoke influences the flavor, aroma, texture,
appearance and shelf life of foods. The process can be
performed at temperatures that range generally from 65°F to 250°F.
Food smoking is part of a revival of old crafts and traditional
foods, and an increase in food awareness – people want to know
what's in the food they are eating. The trend is towards
high-quality ‘slow’ food, with local, natural ingredients free from
chemical additives. Smoking is a way for farmers,
smallholders, hunters and fishermen to make use of large
amounts of meat or fish at certain times of the year.
Meats and fish are the most common smoked foods, though cheeses,
vegetables, and ingredients used to make beverages such as beer, smoked
beer, and lapsang souchong tea are also smoked.
Food preservation technique: Smoking