Which Salmon Should I Buy?

How each one eats

Fat decides most of it. From richest to leanest: Ora King, then Atlantic, then wild king. Coho and sockeye are both lean, with about half the fat of Atlantic or wild king.

Ora King: rich, silky, sweet

White lines of fat run through bright orange flesh, and the fat makes it close to buttery in the mouth. The flavor is sweet and mild, which is why sushi chefs like it raw.

Atlantic: rich, soft, mild

Soft, moist flesh and the mildest flavor of the five. It suits people who want salmon that doesn't taste strongly of fish, and it costs the least.

Wild king: rich, soft, full-flavored

The richest of the wild salmon, with large, soft flakes and more flavor than the farmed fish. It comes in from late spring into summer.

Coho: lean, tender, clean

Lighter than king, with a tender flake and a mild, clean flavor. It sits between the rich fish and sockeye.

Sockeye: lean, firm, bold

Deep red, with a firm, tight flake and the strongest salmon flavor. If you want salmon that tastes like salmon, buy sockeye.

Wild-caught or farm-raised

We sell both because they eat differently, and both are good fish.

Our wild salmon (king, sockeye and coho) is caught in Alaska during the summer runs. Alaska has banned finfish farming since 1990, and its constitution requires the fisheries to be managed for sustained yield. Wild salmon eat krill and small fish, so they come out leaner and firmer, with more flavor. Color and fat vary from fish to fish and from one run to the next.

Our farmed salmon (Ora King and Atlantic) is raised in cold-water sea pens: Ora King in New Zealand's Marlborough Sounds, Atlantic with Nordlaks above the Arctic Circle in Norway. Nordlaks raises its salmon with no growth hormones and certifies it antibiotic-free. A steady diet gives farmed fish more fat, a milder flavor and the same fillet every time, all year. Their color comes from astaxanthin in the feed, the same pigment wild salmon get from krill, so the label says "color added."

Choose wild for flavor and a firmer bite. Choose farmed for richness, a milder taste and consistency.

Then think about the pan

Raw or seared with little on it: Ora King. The grill or the smoker: sockeye, or wild king in season, because the firm flesh holds together. Weeknights: coho or Atlantic. Lean fish cook faster than rich ones of the same thickness, so check sockeye and coho early.