Editing Smoking (cooking) (section)

== History ==
The smoking of food likely dates back to the [[Paleolithic]] era.<ref name=brief>{{cite news |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12139339.briefing-smoked-food/ |title=Briefing: Smoked food |newspaper=The Herald |location=Scotland |date=2002-02-19 |access-date=2023-08-28 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828170029/https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12139339.briefing-smoked-food/ |archive-date=2023-08-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/smoked-food-on-a-plate-9198295.html |title=Smoked food... on a plate |first=Hilly |last=Janes |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=2001-11-10 |access-date=2023-08-28 |url-status=live |url-access=registration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220706132708/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/smoked-food-on-a-plate-9198295.html |archive-date=2022-07-06}}</ref>  This process was later combined with pre-curing the food in salt or salty brine, resulting in a remarkably effective preservation process that was adapted and developed by numerous cultures around the world.<ref>''Luhr Jensen Smokehouse'' page 6</ref> Until the modern era, smoking was of a more "heavy duty" nature as the main goal was to preserve the food. Large quantities of salt were used in the curing process and smoking times were quite long, sometimes involving days of exposure.<ref name="brief" />

The advent of modern transportation made it easier to transport food products over long distances and the need for the time and material intensive heavy salting and smoking declined. Smoking became more of a way to flavor than to preserve food. In 1939 a device called the Torry Kiln was invented at the [[Torry Research Station]] in Scotland. The kiln allowed for uniform mass-smoking and is considered the prototype for all modern large-scale commercial smokers. Although refinements in technique and advancements in technology have made smoking much easier, the basic steps involved remain essentially the same today as they were hundreds if not thousands of years ago.<ref name="brief" />