History

Salmon candy is a Pacific Northwest preparation rooted in Coast Salish cedar-smoked salmon traditions. Modern BC salmon candy combines a brown-sugar-and-maple cure with low-temperature smoking, the sticky-sweet chewy strips a Vancouver souvenir. Granville Island Public Market and Indigenous-owned shops along the coast remain the reference vendors; Salt Spring Coffee and the Boucherie maintain a year-round supply.

Common allergens: Fish

Make it at home

Yield Makes 500g salmon candyHands-on 30 minTotal 12 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g BC sockeye salmon fillet, skin on
  • 200g brown sugar
  • 50g coarse salt
  • 100ml pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Applewood or alder smoking chips

Method

  1. Cut the salmon fillet across the grain into 2cm-thick strips. Pat dry.
  2. Mix brown sugar, coarse salt, black pepper and smoked paprika in a bowl. Coat the salmon strips evenly.
  3. Layer the strips in a glass dish, cover and refrigerate for 12 hours, flipping once at the halfway mark.
  4. Rinse the strips under cold water and pat dry. Lay on a wire rack and air-dry in the fridge 2 hours until a sticky pellicle forms.
  5. Heat a smoker to 80C with applewood or alder chips. Brush the strips with maple syrup. Smoke 4 hours, brushing with more maple every hour.
  6. The candy is done when the strips are chewy and deep amber. Cool completely and store in the fridge up to 2 weeks.

Tip from the editors. Sockeye is the canonical BC choice for its dense red flesh. Wild Pacific salmon over farmed Atlantic. Brushing maple in the last hour adds the glossy finish.

Where to eat salmon candy (bc smoked salmon)

Salmon candy (BC smoked salmon) in Vancouver

Granville Island Public Market ★ 4.7

Food hall$$granville-islandDaily 09:00-19:00

Granville Island Public Market under the Granville Bridge since 1979 is Vancouver's reference indoor food hall, 50+ vendors, BC seafood and produce daily.

Tip: Arrive before 11:00 to skip the cruise-ship lunch rush. Lee's Donuts and Siegel's Bagels are the local cult queues.

1689 Johnston Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3R9

Salmon n' Bannock Bistro ★ 4.6

International$$$south-granvilleTue-Sun 11:30-21:00, closed Mondays

Salmon n' Bannock on West Broadway is Vancouver's only Indigenous-owned restaurant since 2010, run by Inez Cook, Eater Vancouver Restaurant of the Year 2023.

Why locals love it: Off the West Broadway gallery strip, Vancouver's only Indigenous-owned restaurant, Eater Restaurant of the Year 2023.

Tip: Reservations on OpenTable open 30 days out; the bar takes walk-ins for the bison and salmon plate.

1128 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 1G5

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