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FAQ Subject: Cooking salmon on cedar planks

The native Americans I know from the Quinault tribe in WA state cooked salmon on a cedar stick, and also on a board , as they didn't have frying pans or grills, and didn't hurt them!

Aye, Cederman,

They were cooking on either Port Oxford or Western White Cedar which is limited to the Pacific Northwest. Folk in the rest of the country have Juniper or Eastern Red Cedar which is very aromatic and has substantial pesticidal (toxic) properties. Chests and closets, built or lined with Red Cedar, prevent moths from attacking the contents. Fungi and bacteria which quickly consume most woods eschew Red Cedar. Boats built of Red Cedar don't rot.

So, if you live in the Pacific Northwest and want to cook on a cedar plank, have fun. Anywhere else in the country, you should have your planks shipped in.

Have fun,
Smoky