WHY WE SHOULD ALL EAT MORE SALMON:

• One serving of fatty fish per week, such as salmon, can reduce the risk of cardiac arrest by 50 to 70 percent. (The Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 274, No. 17.)
  
  
• Salmon are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which recent studies credit with lowering blood cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of cardiac disease.
  
  
• Older people who eat at least one serving of fatty fish (like salmon) each week are less likely to die from a heart attack, according to a study by scientists in Washington State.
  
  
• "We've had very good clinical studies that show [omega-3 fatty acids] lower blood pressure, lower triglyceride [blood fat] levels and lower the tendency for thrombosis [blood clots]." - Dr. Artemis Simopoulos, president of the Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health in Washington, D.C.
  
  
• "Numerous studies show that omega-3 fatty acids, especially those found in certain oily ocean fish, reduce inflammation and joint pain." - Leslie Beck, registered dietitian and author of "Leslie Beck's Nutrition Guide for Women: Managing Your Health With Diet, Vitamins, Minerals and Herbs" (Prentice Hall)
  
  

SMOKED SALMON TERMS:

Brine - Prior to smoking, salmon is cured with salt and other flavoring ingredients. There are two common methods of brining, "dry brine" and "wet brine." The dry brine method, also known as Irish or Scottish style, employs a mixture of salt, spices and other flavorings, including honey and/or sugar, applied directly to the meat of the fish. Once the fish has been dry brined for a period of time, the brine mixture is rinsed off, and the fish is ready to be smoked. Fish prepared by the wet brine method is soaked in a solution of water, salt, honey or sugar and other spices prior to smoking.

Curing - A method of preserving salmon which may involve brining, smoking, salting, and/or drying.

Hot-Smoked - A smoking process in which the internal core temperature of the seafood reaches 145 degrees F or above for a specific period of time. Seafood that is hot-smoked is generally flaky in texture and does not slice thinly. Most hot-smoked seafood has a burnished golden appearance when ready. Hot-smoked fish can also be called "smoke roasted" or "kippered".

Cold-Smoked - Seafood is placed in a smoker where the air temperature does not exceed 90 degrees F. Products that are cold-smoked retain a firm texture, and can be thinly sliced.

Kippered - Besides referring to salmon that has been hot-smoked, as described above, "kipper" or "kippered" refers to a type of cold-smoked herring enjoyed in Ireland and the U.K., often for breakfast.

Lox - "Lox" is a Yiddish word derived from "lachs," the German word for salmon. Traditional lox has a much higher salt level than other preserved salmon, and it is not smoked. Lox can be either wet or dry brined.

Nova - Salmon cured with a milder brine than that used for lox. Traditionally, Atlantic salmon from Nova Scotia were used for nova, but today it can refer to an inferior brand of smoked salmon.

Gravad Lox - Gravad lox is salmon preserved without smoking, though it can be served in the same ways as traditional or smoked lox. The salmon is prepared first by coating it with a mixture that often includes dill, sugar and spices. It is then pressed with weights, to impart the flavoring to the fish while forcing the moisture from it.