Lox is very pink, wet, and otherwise looks just like sashimi swimming in a tub of brine. It's very, very salty. Keep it refrigerated. It does not smell very fis

Lox is very pink, wet, and otherwise looks just like sashimi swimming in a tub of brine. It's very, very salty. Keep it refrigerated. It does not smell very fishy because it's still in the brine. Cold-smoked salmon is relatively easy to find in the US; CostCo makes a decent version under the Kirkland label. It's moist rather than wet and is usually sold as a thinly sliced slab on a waxed tray in a sealed bag -- it must be kept refrigerated and does not tolerate exposure to air for more than a few hours. Hot-smoked salmon is even easier to find, but is nothing like the other two products. It's dry, flaky, and rather like an overcooked salmon fillet. If it is smoked all the way to jerky, it doesn't need to be refrigerated. All of these will attract local wildlife.