Reds

[recycled]

I am always envious of the great fresh seafood that is available in AK. In my southern california megalopolis, I often buy flash frozen, wild caught Alaska silver salmon at Trader Joes (a specialty food retailer in CA and other lower 48 states metro areas). That's exactly how it's labeled. It's a very light pink color, not the farm stuff with the fake dye. It's not as good as fresh red Alaska salmon (Copper River stuff is great), but it's better than almost any other store bought "fresh" salmon that I can find down here for a reasonable price. I pay about $7 for a big vacuum sealed plastic package that gives me 3 meals worth of fish, and I eat good sized portions. I don't add anything on top other than some olive oil and lemon. Enjoy those reds.

[karibear]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Reds aren't in the same category as Humpback or Chum salmon. Reds are the best eating of all the salmon. Silvers are the second best, and Kings are the third best. The Pink and Dog salmon are shipped to the lower-48 in cans. I don't know any Alaskan who eats Pinks or Dog salmon (except for Alaskan dogs of course).

The "junk" Sockeye you are finding in stores are most likely all farmed salmon.

I heard a story when I first got to Kodiak about some slick advertiser who did an ad campaign for commercially canned pinks - "The best salmon of all, guaranteed not to turn red in the can."

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Reds are the best eating of all the salmon. Silvers are the second best, and Kings are the third best.

The quality of each type of salmon varies depending on the location and the exact timing for when it is harvested.

With out any doubt at all, the best salmon are Kings caught early in the run at Napaskiak on the Kuskokwim River (near Bethel) or at Rampart on the Yukon.

But Kings also exhibit the most variation, so the average King Salmon that is frozen and sold to the public is less than the best. Sockeye Salmon have far less variation, and vastly more of them are caught too, and hence in the (limited) experience of many they are thought to be the best.

There is a similar disparity between Silvers and Chum, where Silvers are generally good regardless of when and where they are harvested. Silvers are not "spawed out" until immediately before they spawn, and then they very rapidly go downhill. Chum Salmon very gradually degrade after leaving salt water, and hence most of the river caught Chums are of lower quality than the river caught Silvers. But a Chum that still has a long long way to travel before spawning is pretty much the equal of any Silver when it comes to the table.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by recycled

I am always envious of the great fresh seafood that is available in AK. In my southern california megalopolis, I often buy flash frozen, wild caught Alaska silver salmon at Trader Joes (a specialty food retailer in CA and other lower 48 states metro areas). That's exactly how it's labeled. It's a very light pink color, not the farm stuff with the fake dye. It's not as good as fresh red Alaska salmon (Copper River stuff is great), but it's better than almost any other store bought "fresh" salmon that I can find down here for a reasonable price. I pay about $7 for a big vacuum sealed plastic package that gives me 3 meals worth of fish, and I eat good sized portions. I don't add anything on top other than some olive oil and lemon. Enjoy those reds.

The Copper River "Reds" are pretty much the cream of the crop and the prices have been at record highs for the last few years. The fishing fleet out of Cordova can't get enough of them, the runs have been lower of late, but they make up the differance from the higher prices too.

Have a few friends that have made a pretty good living from them from fishing over the years.

Here is a few sites on them.

Farm 2 Market / Products / Copper River Alaskan Salmon

Copper River Watershed Project

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by recycled

I am always envious of the great fresh seafood that is available in AK. In my southern california megalopolis, I often buy flash frozen, wild caught Alaska silver salmon at Trader Joes (a specialty food retailer in CA and other lower 48 states metro areas). That's exactly how it's labeled. It's a very light pink color, not the farm stuff with the fake dye. It's not as good as fresh red Alaska salmon (Copper River stuff is great), but it's better than almost any other store bought "fresh" salmon that I can find down here for a reasonable price. I pay about $7 for a big vacuum sealed plastic package that gives me 3 meals worth of fish, and I eat good sized portions. I don't add anything on top other than some olive oil and lemon. Enjoy those reds.

I have to agree with starlite9, the Copper River Sockeye are the best I've eaten. I also agree that if it isn't specifically marked as "wild Alaska salmon" in the stores, it probably isn't. The flesh of fresh wild salmon should be firm to the touch. The flesh should rebound when pressed slightly. If touching the flesh leaves a permanent dent, you probably want to find something else to eat. Also, fresh fish have no oder. If you can smell anything at all, it probably isn't fresh. Farmed or old salmon flesh is mushy. Sounds to me like Trader Joes is the place to go for good salmon.

[rotorhead]

Unless you're living in the Pacific NW or buying from a boutique grocery outfit like Trader Joes or similar, I suspect that quite a few people who buy salmon labeled as "Alaskan" are NOT getting what they pay for. Until/unless the "truth in labeling" laws get some teeth, there will always be unscrupulous fishmongers and grocers who will just buy farmed fish (or whatever is cheapest) and label it however they want.

Very few people that haven't lived in AK or the NW will be able to tell just by looking at it that it's farmed Atlantic salmon, to them that's what salmon is SUPPOSED to look like. It's quite apparent when you have two fillets side-by-side that there's considerable difference between farmed and wild-caught fish, but that's not gonna happen very often since they're trying to pull a fast one on the consumers.

Don't believe me? Just look at how many grocery chains have gotten caught substituting different SPECIES in ground meat. I've read numerous "expose"-type articles where DNA testing has found a veritable Noahs Ark of different meat in what's supposed to be hamburger. If they're playing fast and loose with turkey and chicken and pork and beef all mixed together, just lying about where a fish comes from is small potatoes for them.