Processing & Preservation

Smoking

Exposing food, usually meat or fish, to smoke from burning wood. The smoke adds flavour and chemicals that slow down spoilage.

Real-life application

Smoked hilsa (ilish) and smoked meats from parts of Northeast India use this technique both for taste and for a longer shelf life.

Related terms

Preserving meat or fish by adding salt, sugar, or nitrite, which draws out water and stops harmful microbes from growing.

The natural breakdown of food, usually caused by microbes, enzymes, or oxidation, that makes it unsafe or unpleasant to eat.

Practise the subject behind the definition.