Salmon Jerky

Drying and smoking salmon is one of the oldest food-preservation methods in the world, and on the Pacific coast it was an art form. First Nations peoples hung thin strips of salmon over slow-burning alder fires, turning the summer’s enormous runs into shelf-stable food that carried families through the winter — a tradition still practised at smokehouses up and down the coast.

What makes it great is the flavour that time and smoke build: intensely savoury, a little sweet, and deeply fishy in the best possible way. This modern version adds soy, maple, and a whisper of heat to the old technique, then dries the strips low and slow until they’re chewy and glossy. It’s the ultimate road-trip snack, and it puts any store-bought jerky to shame.

West Coast / BC recipes →