All You Need To Know About Salmon

Salmon aquaculture is a major contributor to the world production of farmed finfish, representing about US$10 billion annually. Other commonly cultured fish species include tilapia, catfish, sea bass, carp, and bream. Salmon farming is significant in Chile, Norway, Scotland, Canada and the Faroe Islands; it is the source for most salmon consumed in the United States and Europe. Atlantic salmon are also, in very small volumes, farmed in Russia and Tasmania, Australia.

Farm-raised salmon are fed the carotenoids astaxanthin and canthaxanthin to match their flesh color to wild salmon[81] to improve their marketability.

One proposed alternative to the use of wild-caught fish as feed for the salmon is the use of soy-based products. This should be better for the local environment of the fish farm, but producing soybeans has a high environmental cost for the producing region. The fish omega-3 fatty acid content would be reduced compared to fish-fed salmon.

Yet another attractive alternative is the increased use of seaweed. Seaweed provides essential minerals and vitamins for growing organisms. It offers the advantage of providing natural amounts of dietary fiber and having a lower glycemic load than grain-based fish meal. In the best-case scenario, widespread use of seaweed could yield a future in aquaculture that eliminates the need for land, freshwater, or fertilizer to raise fish.

Salmon is a popular food. Classified as an oily fish, salmon is considered to be healthy due to the fish's high protein, high omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D content. Salmon is also a source of cholesterol, with a range of 23–214 mg/100 g depending on the species. According to reports in the journal Science, farmed salmon may contain high levels of dioxins.[medical citation needed] PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) levels may be up to eight times higher in farmed salmon than in wild salmon, but still well below levels considered dangerous. Nonetheless, according to a 2006 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the benefits of eating even farmed salmon still outweigh any risks imposed by contaminants. Farmed salmon has a high omega 3 fatty acid content comparable to wild salmon. The type of omega-3 present may not be a factor for other important health functions.

Salmon flesh is generally orange to red, although white-fleshed wild salmon with white-black skin color occurs. The natural color of salmon results from carotenoid pigments, largely astaxanthin, but also canthaxanthin, in the flesh. Wild salmon get these carotenoids from eating krill and other tiny shellfish.

How to Select/Choose Salmon and how to store salmon

Salmon can be purchased as either steaks or fillets, fresh, frozen, canned or smoked. Fresh salmon should have smooth, moist skin. If it has been sold whole, its eyes should be bright and clear, not cloudy or sunken. Rely on your sense of smell to tell you if the fish is fresh. If you cannot eat the fresh salmon within a couple of days, it's best to freeze it. Once frozen and thawed, it should not be refrozen.

Oven-steamed soy salmon recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons Fountain Soy Sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 4 x 150g salmon fillets (skin on), pin-boned
• 2 spring onions, cut into thin matchsticks
• 2 long red chilies, seeds removed, cut into thin matchsticks
• 4cm piece ginger, cut into thin matchsticks
• 1 bunch baby bok choy, halved lengthways
• 200g thin rice noodles (vermicelli)
• 1 lime, juiced, plus extra wedges to serve
• 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons XO sauce (spicy Chinese sauce)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and brush over salmon. Place salmon on one side of a wire rack set in a roasting pan.
2. Sprinkle half the spring onion, chili and ginger over salmon. Place bok choy on the other side of the rack. Pour 1cm boiling water into the pan, then cover the pan with foil. Bake for 15 minutes or until salmon is just cooked.
   
3. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain, refresh and set aside.
   
4. Combine the lime juice, sugar, XO sauce, garlic and remaining 1 tbs soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a bowl.
5. Divide noodles among bowls and top with salmon and bok choy. Drizzle with lime dressing, then top with remaining spring onion, chili and ginger. Serve with extra lime wedges to squeeze over.