This morning I went to visit the legendary H. Forman & Son Smokehouse, just a stone's throw (or should that be discus?) from the new Olympic Stadium for the London 2012 Olympics.
It was very interesting to see the smoked salmon being produced using the traditional methods and skills that Lance Forman's great grandfather, Harry Forman, would have used over a century ago, in 1905.
Lance is very passionate about smoked salmon, and is on a mission to rid the world of bad 'smoked salmon', the poorly produced, often old and too smokey 'smoked salmon' that lines supermarket shelves. The secret to great smoked salmon he says, is being able to taste the freshness of the fish.
All the fish arrives to the smokehouse within 48 hours, where it is filleted before being salted and stringed ready for hanging, all by hand. Smoked salmon was originally just a means of preserving the fish, and this is achieved by removing the moisture. The salting and hanging makes the water drip out of the fish, drying it out - it is this drying process which is often missed, but is crucial to a great smoked salmon.
The salmon is dry smoked in oak smoke for a light smoky taste, before being carved by hand and packed, or sold as beautiful full sides of salmon.
It is, without doubt, the best smoked salmon I've ever tasted, with a very delicate smoke so that the full freshness of the fish can be appreciated.
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