Method Cold Hot Is curing required? Yes Yes Smoking temperature 20°C to 33°C 70°C to 80°C Shelf life refrigerated 4 weeks 7+ weeks Is the meat cooked and the protein coagulated? No, the meat remains raw but tenderised Yes Can all seafood be smoked this way and require no further cooking? Yes. #note Yes 

note -> In practice, however, it is mostly restricted to Atlantic Salmon and Rainbow Trout due to the unique aesthetics of these products.

The smoking process

Smoking seafood entails a three-step process:

Curing with salt, either by immersing in brine or smothering meat with dry salt.

Rinsing the salt-cured meat and drying first with towels and then refrigerating on a rack, skin side down, until a subtle glaze (called a pellicle) covers the fish’s flesh side.

Smoking to infuse the oily component with flavours distinctive for different hardwood types, including Australian native hardwoods such as paperbark. Only hardwood timber – typically beech or mesquite – is safe to use in a smokehouse. Softwoods are not suitable due to toxins that survive combustion. If in doubt, consult a local barbecue supplier that stocks wood for smoking.

Note: Both salt curing and smoking have antibacterial properties.

Edit reddit formatting sucks.