Salmon Varieties
Farmed salmon differs significantly from wild varieties, particularly in terms of fat content and texture.
Farmed Species
Farmed salmon is available year-round, which adds to its appeal. It also contains more fat than any wild variety and, due to its sedentary life, its collagen protein contains less chemical crosslinks than in wild salmon, which translates into softer flesh. Farmed salmon should be cooked to 125 degrees.
Wild Species
Wild salmon has firmer flesh and less fat than the farmed variety. It should be cooked to 120 degrees.
Farmed Species - Atlantic
Season: Year-round
The sedentary, farm-bound lifestyle of this fish gave it a “buttery” texture enjoyed by some tasters, but its farm diet may account for the “bland,” “vegetal” flavors noted by others. Tasters were divided on texture: Some praised its “supple” consistency, but others called it “squishy” or “mushy.”
Farmed Species - King
Season: Year-round
Tasters loved this variety’s “custardy” texture and “rich” yet “mild” flavor that “tasted of the sea.” But this farmed species is not as widely available as its Atlantic counterpart and may require a trip to a specialty store.
Wild Species - Coho
Season: July through September
This species of wild salmon has never enjoyed the popularity of king or sockeye, perhaps due to its far leaner constitution. Many of our tasters found it to be “mealy,” comparing its texture to that of canned fish. Coho was praised, however, for a flavor that was “just right”—neither too fishy nor too mild.
Wild Species - King
Season: May through September
This prized variety winds up on the menus of many top restaurants, which raises the retail price. Wild king has to travel farther than coho salmon to reach its spawning grounds, and thus boasts far fattier flesh. Tasters found the fish to have a strong flavor and a “meaty” texture. However, the firmness of this fish’s flesh was considered by some to be overly “rubbery."
Wild Species - Sockeye
Season: May through September
In great demand in Japan, the sockeye (its name is a corruption of an American Indian word and has nothing to do with the fish’s eyes) was distinguished by its “clean, briny” notes and deep reddish color—the darkest of all the species. Some found the “big flavor” off-putting, but others praised the same assertiveness. Tasters also liked the “smooth,” “firm” texture that gave the sockeye a “good bite.”
