The 7 Types of Salmon Every Cook Should Know
Make the expert choice for your next cooking adventure.
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We hate to say it, but fish can be confusing. Did you know, for instance, that the same variety of fish can have more than one name? Patagonian toothfish, for instance, is the same thing as Chilean sea bass. (Mind blown.) Or that sometimes, farm-raised fish is more nutritious than its wild-caught counterpart? They tend to have higher levels of healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. (Strange, but true!)
But salmon might take the cake for most perplexing fish of all—at least among varieties you'll regularly encounter at the supermarket. Like many other species, included under the salmon umbrella are countless varieties—each with its own flavor profile, texture, and range of ideal cooking preparations. How is the average consumer to choose? If you're currently standing in the middle of the fish aisle, at a loss for which one would go best in that garlic Parmesan salmon recipe you've been ogling, rest assured you aren't alone. We're here to help.
Several different species of wild (and farmed) salmon are native to or sold in the U.S. Some are better in poached salmon recipes, while others species of salmon shine on the grill. Some varieties are best in the form of canned salmon, while others still are better suited for a chunky salmon and creamed corn chowder. Below, we've rounded up the seven most common varieties you're bound to run into, including intel on what sets them apart and how sustainable a choice they are in 2022.
If you're a salmon lover, bookmark this page—you're going to want to use it as a cheat sheet the next time you're at the fish market.
Coho Salmon (Silver Salmon)
Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) is also called "silver salmon" because of its telltale bright silver skin. It's an anadromous species—meaning it mostly lives in saltwater, but returns to native freshwater to spawn—of Pacific salmon, found in coastal streams and rivers between Alaska and central California.
Adult coho salmon have bright red fresh a mild flavor. They can weigh up to 12 pounds and grow up to 30 inches long. While some stocks of Coho salmon are listed as endangered and are thus protected, most wild-caught Cohos are sustainably caught under U.S. regulations. But it's complicated.
"Coho salmon population numbers have declined drastically over much of its native range," said biologist Hilary Starks of U.C. Santa Cruz. "Strides must be made to better manage and conserve remaining populations in order to ensure that this species will be present for future generations."
The takeaway? Coho salmon is probably a fish to eat only once in awhile.
Pink Salmon (Humpback Salmon)
Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbusha) are the most abundant of the seven species of Pacific salmon. Also called "humpback salmon" because of the distinctive hump it develops on its back during spawning, pink salmon are the smallest of the Pacific salmon. Like coho salmon, pink salmon hatch in freshwater, swim out to sea, and return when it's time to spawn.
They have light colored, delicate-tasting flesh with low-fat content. They're also small, averaging around 4 pounds each.
"The majority of this fish goes to the canning industry," write chefs Ron Oliver and Bernard Guillas in Two Chefs, One Catch, but you wouldn't be hard-pressed to find this variety fresh, frozen, and smoked, too. At the fish market, look for the telltale dark oval spots on their back and tail fins.
Sockeye Salmon (Red Salmon)
Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) is one of the smaller species of Pacific salmon, but no less delicious. With deep red flesh, its assertive flavor requires little extra seasoning.
"Sockeyes are valued for their delicious fat (second to chinook), firm texture, and pronounced flavor," says chef Becky Selengut in the sustainable seafood cookbook Good Fish. At the fish market, you'll find these easily by looking for their bright red skin.
Chum Salmon (Dog or Keta Salmon)
Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), also called "dog" or "keta" salmon, are a petite variety averaging about 8 pounds each. With pink-orange flesh and low fat content, chum is usually canned or sold frozen to foreign markets. Its roe (called "ikura") is used for sushi.
"Because of how lean they are, I prefer to steam or smoke them, or cook them in chowders to preserve their moisture," writes chef Becky Selengut. Look for its telltale dog-like teeth when you're at the fish market.
Chinook Salmon (King Salmon)
Chinook salmon, often called king salmon due to its gigantic size, is the biggest variety of Pacific salmon. It can grow up to 129 pounds (!) and high-quality cuts tend to run expensive. When buying king salmon, keep in mind that it has the highest fat content of all varieties.
"King salmon has a milder flavor and higher fat content than sockeye, so it works beautifully with a gentler preparation and more subtle flavor profiles," writes Maya Wilson in The Alaska from Scratch Cookbook. At the fish market, look for black spots on the upper half of the body and tail fin, and a hooked upper jaw.
Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar)
While most other varieties of salmon on this list hail from the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic is native to—shocker—the Atlantic Ocean. Recreational fishing for Atlantic salmon in the U.S. is prohibited, so you'll only find the farmed varieties in fish markets.
It's probably a fish to enjoy sparingly. Why? There's fierce debate over the sustainability of farmed salmon, not to mention concerns about levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs).
"Since PCBs and most industrial pollutants tend to amplify every step up the food chain, the lower on the food chain a salmon eats, the fewer contaminants a salmon is likely to have in its tissues," says author Paul Greenberg in Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food.
Farmed salmon that are fed ground-up fish, for instance, have higher levels of PCBs than wild-caught salmon. For that reason, the Mayo Clinic recommends that fresh or frozen Atlantic salmon be eaten only once every two months.
At the market, look for its telltale spindle-like body shape, speckled back, and bright orange flesh.
Masu Salmon (Sea Trout)
Masu salmon (Oncorhynchus masou), also called sea trout, is a fish endemic to Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Russia, and are considered a delicacy here in the U.S. Its flesh ranges in color from soft orange to pink and is quite tender in texture, with a refined taste reminiscent of tuna.
It's a freshwater species, but have a higher fat content than most other freshwater fish. While you sadly may not find these too easily in the U.S., keep an eye peeled for them in specialty markets.
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