July 27, 2012
The Scoop on Salmon
It seems like salmon, whether it’s steamed, smoked, or sautéed, is kind of a “love it, or hate it” affair. Some folks can’t get enough of it, while others turn their noses up at it. Salmon definitely has it’s own distinct flavor, but the taste is not the only thing that makes this fish special. Politics aside, let’s take a closer look at the miraculous life cycle of these fresh, and salt water creatures.
The name itself, coming from the Latin word salmo, or leaper, indicates just how unique salmon really are. You’ve heard the expression, “swimming up stream.” For salmon, this phrase is literally a matter of life and death.
There are five different species of salmon—Kings, Coho, Chum, Pink and Sockeye. (The Kings, the Coho, and the Sockeye are the ones we typically find in grocery stores and in restaurants, while the chum and the pinks are used for smoking and canning). They are hatched in fresh water, where, depending on the species, they mature for one to three years. First they become Alevin, then Fry, then Par, and finally, while preparing themselves to head out to sea, and actually changing their body chemistry, they become Smolt. An adult salmon can swim up to 2000 miles, reach up to 125 pounds, and spend nearly eight years at sea before returning home to fresh water to spawn. Yes, they travel thousands of miles, up river, against running rapids, leaping rocky waterfalls, avoiding nets and hooks and hungry bears, before finding the place where they were born, the place where they will build their nest and lay their eggs. Wait, their story gets even better! After they spawn, Pacific coast salmon die right there in the same place where they were born. And with that, they leave behind nutrients essential not only to their young, but essential to the entire ecosystem. Sad? Maybe. Heroic? Definitely. So, the next time you place your order, make sure to cherish the meal.
