Lox vs. smoked salmon: What's the healthier choice? Eating salmon on your bagel instead of lox has a different taste than you might realize. They may look identical, but one is cured while the other is cured and smoked. This alone gives them a different flavor than you might learn.
What foods should you eat with either one of them? How do they taste different? You may want these questions answered before you get either one at the grocery store. For instance, they have another sight, smell, touch, and flavor, making them unique.
This guide tells you what defines a lox from a smoked salmon. You'll also learn how to recognize one from the other and what the best foods are with each one of them.
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Lox vs. Smoked Salmon: What's the Difference?
Lox is still salmon, just a different kind of salmon. It's cured salmon without it being smoked. This gives it a different flavor than smoked salmon.
When lox is cured, it draws the flavor out of it. During the curing process, lox is put away in the fridge for a few days to help bring out a lot of the taste. After a few days, the lox is rinsed off to avoid an overly salty-tasting salmon.
Lox is originally from Scandinavia. It was a process used by Swedish fishermen who perfected how to cure salmon in the 19th century.
Smoked salmon has a slight variation to it. As the name suggests, smoked salmon is smoked with wood to give it extra flavor. It also provides the salmon with a slightly different texture. The process for making smoked salmon is first to cure it and then smoke it, adding one more step beyond the lox process.
Since the salmon is smoked and cooked, the texture of smoked salmon is flakier and meatier.
What's the Healthier Choice?
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While lox and smoked salmon are both salmon, they are a bit different when it comes to nutrition. For example, lox has a higher salt content because it's cured longer than smoked salmon.
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- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
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Smoked salmon tends to have greater protein. It also has more calcium and iron. However, smoked salmon also has more calories, fats, and cholesterol. If you have a sensitive stomach, you'll also discover that lox is a raw fish because it isn't cooked.
Another factor contributing to the health of eating lox or smoked salmon is how you eat it with other foods. If you eat it with unhealthy foods, you'll find that the intake of calories, fats, and sugars is a lot higher.
Eating either of these kinds of salmon can help with your intake of omega-3 fatty acids. These benefit your heart, eyesight, and especially your brain's health. Eating either in moderation can ultimately contribute to your overall health.
Other benefits include lowering your risk of stress and anxiety. It also helps fight inflammation and helps you stay at a healthy weight. Other benefits of eating lox or smoked salmon include Vitamin B12, Vitamins A & E, and Astaxanthin, an antioxidant that lowers your risk of heart disease.
Recipes for Both
If you're trying to decide what to eat with lox or smoked salmon, you'll discover that there are plenty of options that you can use with both. One of the best options and most popular is lox or smoked salmon on top of a bagel with cream cheese. However, there are many more options to consider when considering eating one for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Here are some of the best options when it comes to eating lox.
- Lox sandwiches
- Bagel with cream cheese
- Lox bites
- Lox on toasts
- 4-serving meals starting at $3.77 per serving (up to 25% cheaper than HelloFresh).
- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
Here are some of the best options when it comes to eating smoked salmon.
- Mushroom and smoked salmon tarts
- Hash browns with smoked salmon
- Smoked salmon cheese spread
- Lemon herb salmon toasts
- Smoked salmon deviled eggs
Choosing any of these recipes can give you an idea of what you like more when it comes to lox or smoked salmon. You'll discover the unique texture and taste. You'll also find out your favorite ingredients that can be blended with lox or smoked salmon.
Should You Eat Lox or Smoked Salmon?
Choosing between lox or smoked salmon is a matter of preference. You may not think much of it when you're trying to decide between the two. However, given how different they are in nutritional value, texture, taste, and recipes, you may reconsider which you prefer.
Overall, lox and smoked salmon have tremendous health benefits to your heart, brain, and overall health. They are some of the best foods to eat in moderation, especially when it comes to breakfast.