myosin in the muscle fibers, and thus gives
the flesh its compact tenderness.
Lox, most familiar as a delicatessen
accompaniment to the bagel, is a heavily
brined form of salmon. It’s usually soaked to
remove some salt before being sliced for sale.
Fermented Fish
Many cultures from the Arctic to the tropics
have recruited microbes to grow on fish and
transform their texture and flavor. But the
world center of fish fermentation is eastern
Asia, where it has served two important
purposes: to preserve and put to use the large
numbers of small fish that inhabit the coastal
and inland waters; and to provide a
concentrated source of appetite-stimulating
flavors — above all the savory monosodium
glutamate and other amino acids — for a diet
dominated by bland rice.
Fish fermentation apparently arose several