Smoked salmon is salmon cured by exposure to wood smoke, a preservation technique developed independently by coastal and river cultures worldwide, including Pacific Northwest Indigenous peoples and Northern European and Scandinavian fishing communities, long before refrigeration. Today it's produced mainly from wild and farmed salmon in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, with Alaska, British Columbia, Norway, and Scotland as major sources; fish are brined, then hot- or cold-smoked, cold-smoking giving a silkier, more translucent result and hot-smoking a firmer, flakier one. It appears on open-faced smørrebrød and smorgasbord spreads in Scandinavia, on bagels with cream cheese in North America, and in sushi and sashimi preparations in Japan. The flavor balances saltiness, smokiness, and the fish's natural richness; it pairs well with cream cheese, capers, red onion, dill, and lemon, and is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids.