414 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



significance. Although the manner of butchering and cutting into chunks and the 

 time of brining vary somewhat with the species, the smoking operation itself is 

 essentially as described previously for kippering salmon. 



In the midwestern and eastern states similar methods of preliminary prepara- 

 tion and of hot-smoking are in use for such species as catfish, lake trout, sturgeon, 

 swordfish, and whitefish. 



Hot-Smoked Lake Herring and Other Small Fish. Many of the smaller species 

 of fish are given a short, hot smoke to enhance their flavor and thus give them 

 greater sales appeal. The cisco and other varieties of lake herring are widely used 

 in the Great Lakes and surrounding areas. On the East Coast small quantities of 

 the following fish are hot-smoked: alewives, butterfish, eels, flounder, mackerel, 

 and sea herring (usually called buckling after smoking). Lesser amounts of 

 anchovies, eulachon (Columbia River smelt), herring, and sardines are prepared 

 by hot-smoking methods on the Pacific Coast. 



Preliminary preparation varies somewhat according to locality, and also de- 

 pends on market demands. Some may be left in the round; others are gibbed, or 

 headed and gibbed. Brining is usually very light, time and concentration depend- 

 ing upon the size of the fish and the amount of preliminary dressing. A 60° Sal. 

 brine solution may be used, and the time of brining may range between 15 and 

 45 minutes. 



After brining, the fish are either spiead out on oiled wire screens or strung on 

 rods before being placed in the smokehouse. Since these fish are relatively small 

 and retain their skin, the preliminary drying can be accomplished in from 4 to 6 

 hours, after which time the ventilators are closed and the ternperature is allowed 

 to rise to aroimd 150° F (65.6° C). Hot-smoking for 2 to 3 hours at this tempera- 

 ture is sufficient to barbecue thoroughly and cure these products. All of them are 

 perishable and, unless consumed within a few days, should be held in freezing 

 storage. 



Oriental Smoking Methods. Herring-Type Fishes. All along the coastal areas and 

 throughout the island groups of the Orient and East Indies herring-like species of 

 fish are smoked in a unique fashion. The method is Chinese in origin and is 

 usually carried out by Chinese. The process varies somewhat from one place to 

 another, but in general the small fish are first washed and then placed in a 

 vat of boiling salt water in which they are cooked for various lengths of time, 

 depending upon the size of the fish and the concentration of the salt solution. 

 The fish are next spread out on flakes and dried in the sun for 1 or 2 hours. This 

 removes surface moisture. The dried fish are now ready for smoking and are 

 placed in small, round bamboo baskets, so constructed as to allow circulation 

 through the bottom. The fish are placed one layer deep, either with head down and 

 tail up or on their bellies and at a slight angle so that the rows overlap. The in- 

 dividual baskets are then placed over a round opening in the top of a long con- 

 crete furnace which contains a series of similar openings. Several baskets are piled 

 one above the other and a tightly woven cover is placed over the top one. Smoke 

 is produced from a smouldering hardwood sawdust fire. Smoking only takes from 

 4 to 6 hours, and during this time the position of the baskets or trays is changed. 

 The fish are carried to the markets in these trays and sold by the tray full. How- 

 ever, if the product is being prepared for export, it is given a longer smoke and 

 is packed in large wooden boxes holding up to 60 kilos. 



