Salmon

Any of a large family of fish found in the northern waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, returning to freshwater rivers to spawn. Salmon was an important food source for many Native Americans. Many 18th-century domestic servants demanded contracts that stipulated that they not be served salmon more than twice a day. That gives a good indication of just how common the fish once was in our rivers and streams. Today, although wild Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, is recovering from the devastation of the mid 19th century, it remains a protected species.

We have two major sources of salmon: wild Pacific and farm-raised Atlantic. There are five major species of wild Pacific salmon: chinook (also called king), chum (dog), coho (silver), pink (humpback) and sockeye (red or blueback). Of these, chinook, coho and sockeye are considered the best for eating fresh. Prime salmon has deep orange, almost red flesh and a full, fatty flavor. Fish farms raising Atlantic salmon, which originated in Norway, are now found throughout the world. The early efforts by the Norwegians resulted in a nice-looking fish, but it was overly lean and not very flavorful. Currently, however, farm-raised Atlantic salmon from Maine, the Maritime Provinces of Canada (especially New Brunswick), the Pacific Northwest and Chile are all consistently excellent. Salmon is extremely rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The name comes from the Latin saltare, meaning "to jump", reflecting its predisposition to leap from the water during mating season. See also parr.

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