Smoking food

[Kanga Japan]

Would both of the following mean 'to smoke', as in fish, meat, etc.?

OP KHWAN (อบควัน)

ROM KHWAN (รมควัน)

If so, would they describe different methods?

Thank you for your help.

[AyG]

ROM KHWAN definitely means "to smoke". Search Google Images for "ห้องรมควัน" and you'll get smokehouses. The RID also uses the term in defining ham.

OP KHWAN, I'm not so sure of. It's used to refer to candle smoke (อบควันเทียน). Searching for "ห้องอบควัน" doesn't get smokehouses, though LEXiTRON gives this as the translation of smokehouses. There are dishes which are referred to as OP KHWAN, such as เป็ดอบควันอ้อย (PET OP KHWAN OI - sugar cane smoked duck). It's really just a guess, but I suspect this is more along the lines of "smoke perfumed" or "smoke flavoured", rather than smoking being a method of preservation.

I hope someone more knowledgeable can help clarify.

[Kanga Japan]

Dear AyG,

Thank you for your reply.

I also noticed that 'smoked salmon' used ROM KWAN. At least that expression can be confirmed to mean 'smoke', when referring to meat, etc.

I was taking a wild guess and thinking that OP KHWAN could refer to something smoked in a pan, but let's wait and see if anyone else can shed some light on this. Thanks for checking this for me.

I noticed that one dictionary indicated this as 'to fumigate'.

[Pla shado]

_{There is a smoking method used in Thai cooking called อบควันเทียน (OP KWAN THIAN). A small "U" shaped candle (sort of like a joss stick with a wick at both ends) is put in a container with the food to be smoked (usually khanohm). The THIAN is lit and a lid put on the container to infuse the food with smoke.}

[Kanga Japan]

Dear Pla shado,

Thank you for that information. That would be consistent with AyG's comments.

I am aware of this candle (indicated as THIAN OP in my list) and understand that it is used mostly to perfume sweets.

Thank you for your help.

[DavidHouston]

"สารรมควันข้าวเมทิลโบรไมด์ "

methyl bromide is a fumigant used in rice warehouses to keep pests away.

The term "สารรมควัน" (san rom kwan) means fumigant.

[Kanga Japan]

Dear DavidHouston,

Thank you for that information.

I think I will still use ROM KWAN to mean 'to smoke', as in meat, etc.