Bacon, For People Who Don't Eat Bacon

(#13) Taste 25 Foods I've Never Tasted Before

1. Pattypan Squash
2. Beets
3. Eel
4.Wahoo
5.Lychee
6.Quinoa
7. Raw Oyster
8. Octopus
9. Duck
10. Daikon
11. Authentic French Food
12. Dragon Fruit
13. Bagel and Lox (/Smoked Salmon)

I'd never had smoked salmon before but I felt I was almost guaranteed to like it. I love salmon, and I love sushi- I know the raw texture of the smoked salmon (though it is actually cooked through) is a put-off for some. And I love bagels. Win, win, win.

I was right, of course. I did really enjoy it.

I was surprised by how overwhelmingly smoky the salmon smelled- I was worried that a fishy smell would be too much to handle in the morning. But it barely smelled like salmon at all.

All items found at my local and fabulous Trader Joe's.

I know there are some very specific traditions as far as what a true bagel and lox would include. We used a plain bagel instead of a poppy seed bagel. We did have capers but we did not have red onion in the house (also, I don' t like red onion). Ronnie did mention that the red onion would have added a nice crunch. We also did not add tomato or cucumber which are more controversial ingredients.

Luckily the salmon we bought was thinly sliced. I was afraid I would have to develop some Morimoto knife skills on the fly.

 
I toasted the bagel, let it cool (as recommended) and put on a thin layer of cream cheese (as recommended).
 

While it seemed to make more sense to put the capers on before the lox, every picture I saw had the capers on top. I guess it makes it more decorative.

The taste of these ingredients combined is something that I have never experienced before. The smokiness of the salmon, the tart cream cheese, the chewy bagel, and that pop of salty caper all made for a flavorful bite full of depth.  I could definitely see why people crave it- especially people who don't eat pork, because the lox itself has a savory, smoky flavor comparable to smoked bacon or ham.

My only complaint would be that the taste absolutely refuses to leave your mouth for several hours, even after teeth brushing. I imagine this is exasperated even further by the addition of red onion.

It would also probably be a lot to take in for an early breakfast when your taste buds are still waking up. If it is your first time trying it, I would recommend saving it for brunch time.

Unless you are going on a brunch date and don't have any gum on you. In that case go with the pancakes.