Lox facts for kids
Lox on bagel
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| Course | Breakfast or lunch |
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| Main ingredients | Lox, cream cheese, bagel |
Lox is a special kind of salmon that has been preserved. It's usually made by soaking salmon in a salty mixture called a brine. Sometimes, it's also smoked to give it more flavor.
Lox is very popular to eat on a bagel with cream cheese. People often add tomato slices, onion, cucumbers, and tiny capers to make it even tastier.
Contents
Where the Word Lox Comes From
The word lox comes from a very old language. This language is called Proto-Indo-European. Many words in languages like English and German come from this ancient source.
Today, you can find similar words for "salmon" in other languages. For example, in Scandinavian countries, cured salmon is called gravlax. The word lax or laks means "salmon" in these languages.
Different Kinds of Lox
There are a few different ways to prepare lox. Each method gives the salmon a unique taste and texture.
Nova Lox
- Nova or Nova Scotia salmon is a popular type of lox. It's sometimes called Nova lox.
- This salmon is cured with a milder brine. Then, it is cold-smoked. Cold-smoking means the fish is smoked at a low temperature.
- The name "Nova" came from a time when much of this salmon came from Nova Scotia.
- Today, "Nova" refers to the milder curing process. The fish can come from anywhere, even farms.
Scotch-Style Salmon
- Scotch or Scottish-style salmon is made differently.
- A mix of salt and sometimes sugar, spices, and other flavors is rubbed directly onto the fish. This is called "dry-brining."
- After the fish is cured, the rub is rinsed off. Then, the salmon is cold-smoked.
Gravlax
- Gravad lax or gravlax is a traditional way to prepare salmon in Nordic countries.
- The fish is covered in a mix of dill, sugar, and salt. This is a "dry-curing" method.
- After curing, it might or might not be smoked.
- Other spices like juniper berry, fennel, or allspice can also be added.
- Gravlax is often served with a sweet mustard-dill sauce.
Other Smoked Fish
Besides lox, there are other tasty smoked fish products. These include chubs, sable, smoked sturgeon, smoked whitefish, and kippered herring. These foods are very popular in delis and special food stores. You'll find them especially in cities like New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago. These cities have many people whose families came from Jewish, Eastern European, and Russian backgrounds.
See also
In Spanish: Lox (gastronomía) para niños
