Salmon seems to be in the news a lot these days, but it is sometimes difficult to determine whether the news is good or bad. To help cut through the confusion, we’ll examine the major issues surrounding this fascinating and versatile fish. If you enjoy the taste of salmon, as so many of us do, please read on. You will learn how to purchase and cook this fish without fear and in fact with great enthusiasm for its health benefits and the many options it offers the adventurous cook.
One of the main sources of confusion about salmon is that it gets categorized in so many different ways. The main classification is by species. Also common is labeling by geographic origin, and certain prepared salmon also gets labeled according to method of processing. Lastly, and probably least straightforward, salmon is classified as wild or farmed.
Species of Salmon
It is helpful for the briefest of moments to recall a bit of high school biology, and remember that a part of the hierarchy of animal classification (the relevant part), is: family, genus, species, in that order.
The salmon family (we’re foregoing Latin names here), includes Trout, Char, Atlantic Salmon and Pacific Salmon, each of which falls into a different genus.
The genus Atlantic Salmon, includes only one species. Once plentiful across wide ranges of the North Atlantic, wild Atlantic Salmon is now an endangered species as a result of pollution and over-fishing. The only Atlantic Salmon you will find at your fish market is farmed.
Atlantic Salmon is the fattiest of salmon, with beautiful bright pink flesh. (Fattier types of salmon are most prized by salmon lovers because of their rich buttery texture and flavor.) Farmed Atlantic Salmon, while generally available year-round at reasonable prices, unfortunately does not have the same visual or taste appeal as its wild counterpart.
The genus Pacific Salmon includes seven species. In order of their desirability, at least according to some salmon aficionados:
Chinook, or King Salmon - The largest variety, with a high fat content and flesh color that ranges from off white to bright pink. The rarer white-fleshed King Salmon is sometimes sold as White Salmon or Ivory Salmon. Rarely farmed, most King Salmon on the market is wild.
Sockeye, or Red Salmon – Bright red, and close to Chinook in quality. Wild Sockeye is abundant in Alaska and British Columbia, and is the premium variety used for canning. It is the only species that remains bright red after cooking.
Coho, or Silver Salmon – Leaner and pink or red-orange colored, with a milder flavor and more delicate texture than other salmon. Wild Coho is still available but is an endangered species in some states and is popular for farming.
Pink, or Humpback Salmon – The smallest and most numerous of the salmon types, rarely farmed. Most wild Pink Salmon ends up in a can. If sold fresh it is usually whole and at very economical prices.
Chum, or Dog Salmon – The least consistent in flavor, color and texture. Not farmed, and not seen in markets very often.
Steelhead Salmon and Rainbow Trout – These two fishes are very similar and are both classified as Pacific Salmon. They are popular sport fish with varying flavor, color and texture. Most fish labeled Steelhead in markets is farmed Rainbow Trout.
Masu Salmon – Found only off the coast of Japan. Never seen in the United States.
Char and Trout are also considered members of the same family as salmon. Char, sometimes called Arctic Char or Salmon Trout, is barely distinguishable from salmon and is almost always farmed. Many varieties of Trout can be substituted for Salmon in most recipes.
