Is Gravlax Halal?

Gravlax – gravlaks in Norway, graved laks in Denmark – is Scandinavia's cured salmon. A side of raw salmon is buried under a mixture of salt, sugar, crushed pepper and plenty of dill, pressed and left in the fridge for two or three days while the cure draws out moisture and firms the flesh. It is then sliced paper-thin and served with a sweet mustard-dill sauce on rye bread or crispbread.^[3] The name means "buried salmon", from the old practice of burying fish in the sand to cure it.^[1]

What is in it

Plain gravlax is Halal.^[2]

The spirits question

Some traditional and restaurant recipes pour a splash of aquavit, vodka or gin over the fish before curing, for flavour. That makes it an alcohol question, and this site treats a food with spirits deliberately added as not Halal; see vodka. Packaged gravlax lists the cure on the label, and most supermarket gravlax is cured with salt, sugar and dill only.

Gravlax and smoked salmon

Gravlax is cured but never smoked. Smoked salmon is salted and then cold-smoked. Both are Halal fish; the same check for added spirits applies to both.

Where you will meet it

Gravlax is a fixture of the Scandinavian Christmas and Easter table, of Swedish smörgåsbord and Danish open sandwiches; see smørrebrød. For the region's food in general, see the Scandinavia guide.