savusta

Savusta is a Finnish verb meaning to smoke food by exposing it to wood smoke. In culinary use, smoking is a method of flavoring and preserving foods by heat and smoke. There are two main approaches: hot smoking, in which temperatures typically range from about 50 to 90 °C (122 to 194 °F) and the food is cooked as it absorbs smoke; and cold smoking, which uses lower temperatures and does not cook the food, instead imparting flavor while often requiring prior curing. The term savustus refers to the smoking process itself.

Commonly smoked Finnish foods include fish such as salmon, trout, vendace and herring, as well as meats like pork and sausages, and occasionally cheese or vegetables. Traditional smoking takes place in smokehouses or with domestic smokers, from purpose-built units to improvised setups using metal drums or ovens. Wood choices influence flavor; birch and alder are traditional in Finland, while fruit woods like apple or cherry provide milder notes.

Savusta and the related savustus have deep roots in Finnish culinary heritage, especially along the coast where fish smoking is customary. The practice can extend shelf life and add characteristic aromas, though modern smoking often balances flavor with food safety practices such as proper curing, temperature control, and adequate cooking in hot smoking.

Safety and quality considerations include maintaining clean equipment, avoiding excessive smoke density to limit harmful compounds, and ensuring smoked products reach safe internal temperatures when applicable. Savusta encompasses both a cooking technique and a cultural tradition within Nordic food preparation.