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Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest and their upriver cousins had been drying and smoking salmon for hundreds of years before Lewis and Clark's expedition. It was a cultural foundation as well as a staple food. The seasonal salmon runs were a pulse of nature that allowed humans to thrive, so they were justly revered. Smokehouses of cedar planks held rows of fish to be cooked, flavored, and preserved by the smoke curling toward a vent in the roof.

Clifford Shippentower, a modern Native American fisher and smoker in Stevenson, Washington, says salmon is in his blood. "It's not just a livelihood, it's a way of life. It's my culture, my heritage, my religion."

Because of its stunning flavor, smoked salmon is cherished by diners all over the Northwest. As a fatty fish, it especially welcomes smoking because the natural oils absorb and retain the smoke flavor. Different woods such as alder and apple distinctively tint the taste; a skilled smoker blends them like a vintner mixes grapes. Smoked salmon graces a variety of culinary situations, from breakfast with cream cheese and bagels through creamy pasta concoctions and on to backpack dinners, where it can last for days without refrigeration. (It does, however, tend to intrigue bears.)

The variations of smoked salmon can seem daunting to the beginner. Cold-smoked salmon (also known as lox or nova) has a soft, buttery texture and subtle smokiness. Like sashimi, it celebrates the essence of the fish. Hot-smoked salmon is flaky, dense, and more intense. The fish species makes a subtle flavor difference: To my palate, king salmon is, well, king. Purists insist that additives and curios, such as an herbal rub, beer marinade, or pepper crust, push the noble fish in the wrong direction. As one Seattle connoisseur suggests, "Look on the label for stuff you can pronounce."

Smoked salmon can be found easily in grocery and specialty stores. At an informal taste panel recently convened in Seattle, seafood experts Cynthia Nims and Scott Wellsandt tried a variety of Northwest smoked salmon available by mail order and enthusiastically endorsed Port Chatham's fresh hot-smoked king (800/872-5666 or .com) and Gerard & Dominique Seafood's fresh cold-smoked king (800/858-0449 or .com).