Pursuits

How Lox, Whitefish and Herring Became American Staples

It’s an appetizing story, and not just for the High Holidays.

A sampling from Acme Smoked Fish at company headquarters in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, New York.

Photographer: Eugene Reznik/Bloomberg

Hot-smoked, cold-smoked, lemon-peppered, everything bagel-ed, kippered and candied. At Brooklyn, New York-based Acme Smoked Fish, smoking salmon is an art with dozens of permutations.

The wholesaler produced 15 million pounds of smoked fish last year, more than 9 million of which were salmon. Whitefish is also popular. Acme’s herring, which comes pickled, creamed and in wine sauce, is another fan-favorite. Sable, a smoked black cod known for its buttery texture and astronomical pricetag, is also among the offerings.