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Wild vs Farmed Smoked Salmon

Albertina Roca
  |   January 15, 2015   |  

Wild Smoked Salmon

The ultimate in smoked salmon luxury, most connoisseurs will tell you that this the only kind of salmon they will eat. This is salmon that has been caught swimming wild in the oceans and seas of the world, as opposed to farmed and harvested in lakes and man-made pools. The only conundrum is that “fresh” wild smoked salmon is only available seasonally in certain parts of the world, during netting season so buyers have to be careful when purchasing so-called ‘wild’ smoked salmon. It is only available fresh for a very short period during the netting season. More often than not, fish labeled “wild” available out of season is has been mislabeled or prepared from fish that was frozen the summer before. Flavor wise, most people would not be able to taste the difference between wild smoked salmon and farmed smoked salmon. However, there are certain divergences. Wild smoked salmon roams the waters at will, and therefore is typically leaner (less fatty) than farmed salmon. Moreover, the fat content and texture of wild smoked salmon can vary, so the flavor can also vary depending on the fish itself. So don’t be surprised if you find wild smoked salmon that greatly differs in flavor and textures. Once the salmon starts coming in from the ocean to spawn, the fat content will start to decrease at it strains to make its way upriver. So where the fish is caught will also affect the flavor and fat content. A fish caught way upriver will have wasted its fat reserves, and therefore will be much less desirable. Farmed smoked salmon, on the other hand, will almost always have identical fat contents, which will also tend to be high as they do not need to make the strenuous journey up stream.

Farmed Smoked Salmon

Due to the convenience and depleted wild salmon populations, aquaculture has become a major world industry. Today, most smoked salmon is farmed all around the world, which provides a steady supply of fresh and smoked salmon to the market. When examining farmed smoked salmon, where the fish comes from becomes less important than, as opposed to wild smoked salmon, where origin is everything. How the fish are raised, cured, and the smoking technique used become the more determining factors on the quality and labeling of the fish. The way to make it less confusing is to think of it this way: any type of salmon species can be farmed pretty much anywhere under the right conditions; thus, you might have farmed smoked salmon from a Pacific species, farmed in Norway, and smoked using a cold-smoking technique, and labeled Norwegian smoked salmon. The more important issue is the flavor and smoking. In the case of salmon, fat is flavor. Since farmed salmon are more sedentary than their wild counterparts, farmed smoked salmon has a more buttery smooth flavor, oilier and, some will argue, more flavorful. As for the color, it tends to have a brighter red color, which is actually derived from chemically enhanced feed pellets placed at the bottom of the lake (farm-raised salmon without the use of these pellets would be very unappetizing grey color). The bottom line is that unless you go to a specialty store, and pay high prices, and it happens to be the netting season, you will more often than not be consuming farmed smoked salmon. Farmed smoked salmon has another advantage over its wild cousin: since it is given the perfect balance of protein, oils, and fats, their composition is more homogenous and balanced than the salmon found in the wild.

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Author

Albertina Roca

Copywriter & Certified Cheese Addict

Meet Albertina, a seasoned food writing wordsmith and marketing creative split between the sizzling vibes of Miami and the charming streets of Buenos Aires. With a solid 20 years in the traditional and digital advertising world for the gourmet food industry, she’s mastered the art of making words as mouthwatering as the dishes they describe. She’s proudly been part of the Gourmet Food Store family (and its brands) since its very beginnings, and what a fun, flavor-packed journey it has been!

Highlights

Albertina's journey in copywriting is marked by a passion for creativity and a knack for connecting with audiences. Her expertise spans SEO-driven content that boosts visibility, engaging social media strategies that spark conversations, persuasive advertising campaigns that captivate, and heartfelt storytelling that resonates deeply.

Experience

With a diverse portfolio spanning numerous articles, blogs, and captivating content pieces, Albertina has left her mark on the industry. From informative guides to persuasive sales copy, her work not only informs but also inspires action.

Education and Background

Her journey began at Rutgers College, where she studied in History and Political Science, with a minor in English Lit. She honed her craft at The Miami Ad School in South Beach, where creativity and copy collided under the South Florida Sun. From the neon streets of South Beach to the tango beats of Buenos Aires, her pen dances with the rhythm of whatever gastronomic tales she gets to write at the time.

Currently savoring life in Buenos Aires, Argentina, she’s bilingual in English and Spanish, an avid reader, and cheese addict.

Her writing? Seasoned with creativity, spiced with experience, and garnished with a dash of wit.

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Questions and Answers

Q:When is the season for wild smoked salmon…..I want to buy a side regularly.
A:Wild salmon season normally runs from late April to early October.
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