Salmon lovers - which do you buy? Chinook, Sockeye, Coho, Pink, Atlantic, King, or something different?

[HillsideDesolate]

Atlantic is code for farm raised.

Lately I have also seen it marketed as "Scottish salmon."

 

[dennishoddy]

Nothing farmed for us, no matter what specie. When we buy salmon, I like the kings for the big thick fillets, but anything wild caught is good for us. We like it lightly smoked on the pellet grill, low and slow, or cedar planked.
Wife came home with a vacuum sealed atlantic salmon fillet once. When unwrapped, it had to have been close to being rancid. Absolutely no firmness to the meat. Basically, just mush. It found its way into the trash can quickly with a bag of blue cat coming out of the freezer for the dinner

 

[2busy]

Crappie for the win.

 

[Hangfire]

Grew up eating salmon patties and still enjoy them once a month or so along with fried taters.....just got this recipe from the wife who got it from my mom many years ago.

14.75 oz. can of pink salmon, eight saltines, one egg, little bit of salt and pepper and about a heaping / rounded tablespoon of both cornmeal & flour.....no onion.

 

[turkeyrun]

Mom always used saltines.
Wif will do saltines or cornmeal and onions.
Cook in olive oil or bacon grease.

 

[CHenry]

Mom always used saltines.
Wif will do saltines or cornmeal and onions.
Cook in olive oil or bacon grease.

I would have to use onion also. And the bacon grease sounds better than olive oil.

 

[CoronaBorealis]

Northwest native here. Sockeye is the best salmon, it has the highest fat content the colder and longer the river the better the fish. Back home sockeye will be sold by what river it is from. Sockeye use to run as far south as the Los Angeles river. Stocks are depleted but still sustainable un northern regions. Chinook (King) is good too, it really shines as being cut into steaks due to the size of the fish. Coho (silver) is a solid fish, it really benefits from being troll caught, I used to get it at the farmers market caught to night before. Coho has a lower fat content and really shines for smoking and making jerky. Pink (humpback) Is typically what is found in cans and recently started being offered fresh/frozen (Aldi has a great deal) Pink is fine and great for marinated recipies. If you are eating Atlantic, do yourself a favor and get pink instead. Pinks still have large runs and are a very sustainable choice. Pinks are the smallest of all the above species.

Now on to Atlantic salmon. Atlantic Salmon is pig disgusting. Virtually all Atlantic Salmon in the US is farmed in large pens at sea. Farming sounds sustainable but it is not. Because the fish dont actually make a run they have poor fat and muscle development. These pens are usually rife with disease and fish are treated with antIbiotics. These pens also spread disease to native fish and their feed depletes food for wild fish. Atlantic salmon also hurt the US fishing industry, especially when imported. Additionally fish escape and are an invasive species. These is no limit on Atlantic salmon in the NW. Because of their diet and lack of exercise Atlantic Salmon do not developed a salmon color and the flesh is dyed in processing. Hence the classic PNW bumper stickers "Atlantic Salmon Dyed for You." And "Friends dont let friends eat farmed fish"

I bought Sockeye rather than my normal Atlantic this week because of this thread -- it was fresh caught and product of USA. Think it was a dollar more, but fresh caught USA was worth it for me. It's in the oven right now, so waiting to see if I can tell a difference.

UPDATE: It was very good - I’ll make it my go-to in the future. It had a stronger flavor to it than Atlantic, but after reading up on it, this is normal and a result of the natural diet Sockeyes have compared to farmed fish.

I also noticed there was less of the white fatty substance that appears as you cook it compared to Atlantic. I initially thought that was just a random observation, but turns out that is because the Sockeye is leaner and not “fattened up” so to speak, as they do with farmed Atlantic salmon.

The Differences Between Atlantic Salmon vs Sockeye Salmon | Wild Alaskan Company

Knowing the differences between farmed Atlantic salmon and wild sockeye is essential in understanding how Atlantic vs sockeye salmon impact your health, the health of the planet, and more.

wildalaskancompany.com