Welcome to brain Stuff, production of I Heart Radio. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelbaum. Here, Americans love their salmon. In this rich flaky fish topped the list of the country's favorite seafood according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's annual Fisheries of the United States Report, and salmon also had the highest US commercial value, breaking in six eighty eight million dollars that year. That's more than crab, lobster, shrimp,
or scallops. It's also simple to prepare. You can grill it, bake it, poach it, pan fry it, and of course smoke and cure it. Speaking of when you're at the seafood or deli counter, you'll likely find samon options like locks, Nova and grave locks. So what's the difference between these three salmon preparations anyway? For the article, this episode is based on How's to Fork spoke with Eric Sell, the
executive chef of Asteria, Mattone and ros Well, Georgia. He explained, these are all born from a need to preserve things, so they're all pickled. No one in America wants to eat pickled fish. The art of preserving is not lost, but not a necessity either, Hence no one knows what to call which type of cured fish what. Let's start with locks, from the Yiddish word for salmon locks. Locks is a cured but not smoked preparation often made with
the fatty belly of the fish. Though to be sure that you know what you're getting, you can specify that you want belly locks if you do want this fatty cut, as other cuts of salmon go by the name locks as well. Locks is salt cured, which means that a mixture including salt preserves the fish by replacing some of its water molecules, which bacteria need to thrive, with salt and sugar molecules which can kill bacteria. The salt mixture is usually a combination of salt, sugar, herbs, spices, and
citrus cest. The fish takes on the flavor of the cure, so it often has a briny flavor. In the United States, locks often served with bagels and other toppings, including cream, cheese, red onion, and capers. Meanwhile, gravelocks is similar to locks,
and that's cured but not smoked. This traditional Scandinavian method of preparation gets its flavor from its cure of just salt, sugar, and lots of dill, although additional spices such as citrus, coriander, juniper berries, or fennel can be added, and some people even add spirits like vodka or aquavite. In Scandinavian countries, gravelocks usually appears as an appetizer with a whole side of fish presented at the table. It's sliced thin and often served with a side of dill and mustard sauce
and with boiled potatoes or crispy bread or crackers. Nova, unlike locks and gravelocks, is both cured and smoked. The name Nova refers to the smoked salmon coming from Nova, Scotia, but not all smoked salmon is nova. Nova is cold smoked, which means it's smoked over a low heat, usually about eighty degrees fahrenheit that's twenty six celsius. Because the temperature is so low, the smoking process doesn't cook the salmon,
and so it must be cured or brined first. It may sound complicated, but you can actually make Nova at home just as easily as locks or golf locks, if you are willing to put in the time. Nova and other smoked salmons are popularly served sliced thin as part of a platter with hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, red onions, and spreadable cheeses, and with crackers and the sliced to baghett Today's episode is based on the article locks, Drove, Blocks and Nova, What's the Difference on House to wworks
dot com, written by Carrie Whitney. Brain Stuff is production to by Heart Radio and partnership with how stuff works dot Com, and it's produced by Tyler Clang. Four more podcasts from my heart Radio. Visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen too your favorite shows