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Salmon
The salmon may be the most popular fish among consumers. Although once very plentiful, salmon is now much rarer due to overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction. In fact, much of the salmon now sold commercially is not caught in the wild, but instead is grown on salmon farms.
The salmon is distinguished from the trout, a closely related species, by its anal fin, which has 12–19 rays. The shape of its elongated, somewhat compressed body varies slightly from one species to another. Its skin is covered with smooth scales and is often dotted with markings that vary from species to species. The color of the skin depends on the species and on the time of year. Most species of wild salmon are born in freshwater, spend 1–4 years in the sea, and then swim upstream to return to their place of birth to spawn. Many salmon travel more than 900 miles to get back to their spawning ground.
Types of Salmon
There are five species of salmon in the Pacific and one in the Atlantic. A sixth variety is found only in freshwater.
Pacific Salmon
Pacific salmon species include the chinook salmon, the sockeye salmon, the coho salmon, the pink salmon, and the chum salmon.
- Chinook salmon: Also called king salmon, it usually measures 34–36" and weighs 30–40 pounds. Its dorsal skin is olive green, its sides and belly are silvery, and its lower gums are black. Its back, the top of its head, and its sides are adorned with black spots. The color of its flesh ranges from light pink to dark orange. Sold fresh, frozen, or smoked, it’s rarely canned. Smoked chinook salmon is the most widely commercialized variety of salmon.
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Sockeye salmon: Also called red salmon, it is the second most commercially important salmon species, after the chinook, and usually measures 24–28" and weighs 6–10 pounds. Its dorsal skin is bluish green, and its sides and belly are silvery. Its firm, very flavorful flesh is red in color and remains red even when canned. Rather thin, slender fish of uniform length, sockeye salmon are particularly well suited for canning. In fact, sockeye salmon is almost always canned, but it is also available smoked
or salted.
- Coho salmon: Also called silver salmon, it usually measures 18–24" and weighs 5–10 pounds. Its metallic-blue dorsal skin is adorned with small black spots, and its sides and belly are silvery. The coho salmon is generally considered to be slightly inferior to the chinook and sockeye, and is the third most commercially important species behind those two. Frequently canned, coho salmon is also sold fresh, frozen, smoked, or lightly pickled.
- Pink salmon: The smallest of the Pacific salmon, it matures very quickly (in 2 years). It usually measures 17–19" and weighs 3–5 pounds. Its bluish green dorsal skin is adorned with large black spots, and its sides are silvery. The pink salmon has long been regarded as an inferior species (like the chum) because its pinkish flesh is rather soft and breaks into small pieces. It is usually canned, but it is also sold fresh, smoked, or frozen.
- Chum salmon: It usually measures about 25" and weighs 11–13 pounds. Its dorsal skin is metallic blue, and its sides and belly are silvery. Light crimson stripes adorn its sides. The chum has the least attractive and least flavorful flesh of any salmon. Only slightly pink, it is spongy, soft, and breaks into small pieces. Although best when fresh, it is also canned, frozen, dry-salted, and smoked. It is the least expensive kind of salmon.
Atlantic Salmon
The Atlantic salmon is the only salmon found in the Atlantic. It’s different from the Pacific salmon: whereas Pacific salmon die after spawning once, Atlantic salmon spawn and then return to the sea. Atlantic salmon can reproduce up to four times. The Atlantic salmon is renowned for its fighting spirit and for its pink, deliciously fragrant flesh. Its dorsal skin can be brown, green, or blue, and its sides and belly are silvery. When caught, Atlantic salmon measure 32–34" and weigh an average of 10 pounds. They are sold fresh, frozen, or smoked. Atlantic salmon should be prepared as simply as possible so as not to mask its flavor.
Freshwater Salmon
The ouananiche, or landlocked salmon, is a small freshwater salmon found on the east coast of North America, as well as in Scandinavia. This fish is a species in its own right, not only because of its habitat but also because of certain physical differences that set it apart from other salmon. It is shorter than most salmon (8–24") and rarely weighs more than 13 pounds. Its comparatively long, powerful fins and its large, strong tail developed in response to the swift-running waters of its environment. It also has relatively large teeth and eyes. Its black dorsal skin is adorned with tightly spaced, well-defined spots, its sides are bluish gray, and its belly is silvery. Ouananiche can be prepared like salmon or trout.
Nutritional Information: Salmon
The table below lists the nutritional information for salmon per 100 grams of raw fish.
Nutrient |
Chinook |
Sockeye |
Coho |
Pink |
Chum |
Atlantic |
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Protein |
20 g |
21 g |
22 g |
20 g |
20 g |
20 g |
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Fat |
10 g |
9 g |
6 g |
3 g |
4 g |
6 g |
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Calories |
180 |
168 |
146 |
116 |
120 |
142 |
Salmon is particularly high in omega-3 fatty acids, a form of “good cholesterol” that provides a wealth of health benefits. The fattier the salmon, the more omega-3s it contains.
How to Buy Salmon
Salmon is sold fresh, frozen, smoked, salted, dried, and canned. Fresh and frozen salmon can be purchased whole or as steaks, pieces, segments, or fillets, while smoked salmon is often sealed in plastic or frozen. It is best to buy fresh salmon in a fish store where the stock turns over quickly to ensure that it is as fresh as possible. Dark salmon tends to be very salty. Avoid smoked salmon that has dry or brown edges or that is shiny or leaking moisture—it’s probably not fresh.
Salmon Roe
Salmon roe is also a prized food. It is sometimes referred to as red caviar, but genuine caviar contains only
sturgeon roe.
How to Store Salmon
Salmon spoils quickly because the flesh is fatty. It should not be refrigerated for any longer than 2–3 days.
How to Prepare Salmon
If you are preparing whole salmon, the fish should be scaled and gutted before it is cooked. It does not have to be washed, just wiped.
How to Cook and Serve Salmon
Fresh salmon can be cooked in any number of ways, including baking, broiling or grilling, or poaching.
Smoked salmon (also called lox or Nova lox) is often served with capers and thinly sliced sweet onions. It is added as a special finishing touch to foods such as sandwiches, salads, omelets, pasta dishes, mousses, and quiches.
Canned salmon can be added to sandwiches, salads, sauces, omelets, quiches, mousses, soufflés, pâtés, and crêpes. It is also sold in the form of a paste, which is used primarily to make sandwiches and canapés.
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