Delia Smith has kind words for Arbroath smokies in her new television series. This will undoubtedly focus attention on the ancient art of smoking food.
Q: When did smoking food first start?
A: Most probably early man hung his food in the rafters of his house to prevent animals and rodents eating it. As there were no such thing as chimneys, primitive homes could get smoky. Somebody would be bound to notice that the pieces of food exposed to smoke remained in better condition and tasted better.
Q: How did it develop?
A: The basic form of smoking lasted in Britain and most of Europe until transport infrastructure began to improve in the 1840s. This was heavy-duty smoking, with much use of salt and lengthy periods of smoking. The transport revolution meant that meat and other perishable foods could be moved over large distances much more quickly. The result was a decline in the very heavily salted and smoked traditional product.
Q: What happened next?
A: Smoked food began to be processed for taste rather than longevity. The kipper is a good example. It was invented about 1843 in Northumberland and was mildly smoked and salted. The date of the first Arbroath Smokie is uncertain.
Q: What is an Arbroath smokie?
A: The traditional definition is haddocks, gutted and beheaded, tails tied, brined, hung over wooden sticks and smoked over a barrel.
Q: Why?
A: It makes them taste delicious, but that isn't the primary reason. Meat and fish were originally smoked so that they could be preserved over long periods.
Q: Surely Arbroath smokies are not smoked over a barrel today?
A: Not commercially. The smoking of food has come a long way in the past century or so.
Q: How has the technology improved?
A: In 1939 the Torry research station in
Aberdeen invented the Torry Kiln for fish smoking. It was the first reliable unit the fish-smoking industry had ever had and it is the basis of almost all smoking units made today.
Q: Why was it revolutionary?
A: It was reliable and gave uniform results. A powerful fan enhanced the product and reduced smoking time.
Q: The basics must remain the same, surely?
A: Indeed they do. Meat and fish are usually soaked in brine which keeps the flesh moist during the long smoking process. They can also be flavoured by marinating before smoking.
Q: What does smoke add?
A: Two hundred components that include alcohols, acids, phenolic compounds, and toxins. Oh, and a nice taste.
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