Salmon Candy

One of the few truly native American foods in today’s national diet, salmon candy (once known as squaw candy before that term was deemed offensive) is small pieces of salmon that have been heavily smoked to attain the consistency of jerky. Imbued with brown sugar, molasses, or maple syrup (and maybe rum), they are sweet as candy while also retaining their smoky, salty, savory essence: a powerful range of flavors. Originally created as portable nutrition, salmon candy is today sold as a snack. When chopped up, it can be used like bits of bacon to adorn salad or soup.