Taste-Off: The best cold-smoked salmon at Costco and Trader Joe’s — and the ones to avoid

Slather a bagel with cream cheese, top it with cold-smoked salmon, capers and a snip of dill, and it’s a lavish breakfast or brunch standout — or memorable snack.

That said, the deliciousness of this indulgence is entirely reliant on the star ingredient — that slice of salty, cold-smoked salmon. When it comes to smoked salmon, the uninitiated have lots of questions: How is it made? Why is it so salty? And what is cold smoke anyway?

Cold-smoked salmon, the kind that looks almost raw and comes in a range of styles and flavors, isn’t exactly raw fish. It’s cured in salt, then “cold-smoked” at 70 to 85 degrees for several hours, until it absorbs the flavor of the smoking wood and becomes silky and delicate in texture. It’s basically lox, but smoked.

The texture and flavor of what’s in each package depends on the amount of salt, the variety of salmon and the types of wood used in the smoking process. In general, Sockeye salmon, native to the Pacific Northwest, is softer, more silky and more flavorful. Smoked salmon made with the much larger Atlantic salmon, is fattier, more dense, even slightly chewy.

The very best cold-smoked salmon is found at top delis, but for this feature, we focused on the multitude of smoked options found at Costco and Trader Joe’s, two iconic party resources. We tried deep red, delicately textured Sockeye; meaty, light pink Atlantic salmon; and those labeled “Nova” — think Nova Scotia — which is Atlantic salmon cured with minimal salt and smoke.

Great smoked salmon is velvety soft, but peels off in handsome, uniform slices. It has complex smoke notes thanks to carefully curated wood varieties, but the flavor of the salmon shines. Bad smoked salmon is wickedly salty, overly seasoned, or the smoke is so overpowering, the flavor of the fish is entirely lost.

Here’s the scoop on the smoked salmon that will wow your guests — and the ones to avoid. Nutrition info refers to a 2-ounce serving.

Kirkland Smoked Sockeye Salmon

The flavor of these richly colored slices of expertly smoked salmon is about as good as it gets outside of a deli. It has creamy texture, and the flavor of fresh salmon dominates. 70 calories, 630 mg sodium, 12 g protein. $18.99 for two 8-ounce packs at Costco. (4 stars)

Trader Joes Wild Sockeye Smoked Salmon

Rich, smoky flavor and velvety texture make these thin slices extraordinary. They’re a bit saltier than the top pick, but packed with sweet salmon flavor. 70 calories, 1.5 g fat, 740 mg sodium, 13 g protein. $7.99 for 4 ounces. (3½ stars)

Kirkland Imported Smoked Salmon

Those who prefer the meatier texture of Atlantic salmon from Norway will appreciate this extra-smoky pack. The slices are thick and easy to separate — a great pick for topping toast, bagels, bites of egg and more. 122 calories, 7 g fat, 570 mg sodium, 13 g protein. $23.99 for two 12-ounce packs at Costco. (3½ stars)

Trader Joe’s Wild Sockeye Nova Smoked Salmon

Intense fish flavor and a blast of smoke make this a delicious bite, but it’s a bit chewy, and it spoils faster than others in the lineup. 60 calories, 670 mg sodium, 12 g protein. $13.99 for 8 ounces. (3 stars)

Trader Joe’s Oak Smoked Salmon Pieces

These irregular pieces of lightly smoked fish are cut in somewhat sloppy fashion, but the clean, simple flavor of carefully brined salmon shines. This is a great choice for those new to smoked salmon. 100 calories, 3.5 g fat, 540 mg sodium, 15 g protein. $4.99 for 3 ounces. (3 stars)

Trader Joe’s Pastrami Style Smoked Atlantic Salmon

A smack of spices and herbs infuse huge flavor into these slices, so much so, that they can quash the salmon’s flavor. That said, this salmon would be great in a sandwich.120 calories, 8 g fat, 600 mg sodium, 12 g protein. $5.99 for 4 ounces. (2½ stars)

Trader Joe’s Nova Salmon Pieces

Thick cuts and minimal salt are a win, but the salmon pieces are slightly gelatinous and so lightly smoked that the flavor is sadly understated. 80 calories, 3.5 g fat, 610 mg sodium,11 g protein. $9.99 for 8 ounces. (2 stars)

Trader Joe’s Everything But The Bagel Seasoned Smoked Salmon

Slapping onion and garlic bits on a delicate slice of Atlantic salmon is a mistake. These slices are so over-seasoned that the subtle, sweet flavor of the salmon is buried. 80 calories, 3.5 g fat, 600 mg sodium, 11 g protein. $5.99 for 4 ounces. (1 star)

Pacific Supreme Smoked Atlantic Salmon

Way too much artificial-tasting smoke, stringy texture and a massive hit of salt make these slices close to inedible. Note that the sodium content on the label seems to be in error. 63 calories, 3.5 g fat, 467 mg sodium, 9 g protein. $4.99 for 3 ounces at Trader Joe’s. (½ a star)

Foppen Smoked Norwegian Salmon Slices

The two flavored varieties in this pack are cringe-worthy. They’re thick, slimy and wildly salty. All three types in the pack are soaked in gelatin, which may be why they are slightly crunchy. Avoid this brand at all costs. 120 calories, 6 g fat, 690 mg sodium, 11 g protein. $12.99 for 10.2 ounces salmon, 1.8 ounces sauce at Costco. (½ a star)

Reviews are based on product samples purchased by this newspaper or provided by manufacturers. Contact Jolene Thym at timespickyeater@gmail.com. Read more Taste-off columns at www.mercurynews.com/tag/taste-off.