Farmed versus Wild Salmon?

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
I know its just loaded with fat, but I can't resist the creamy, buttery flavor of farm raised salmon.

Wild salmon is just so variable, and some have off flavors.

Which do you prefer?
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
126
We pretty much only buy wild Alaskan Sockeye salmon. I try to avoid farmed seafood much as possible.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
They both taste great imo. My fiancée makes a big deal about it being wild. But we always get farm and she likes it lol
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
51,118
6,968
136
I know its just loaded with fat, but I can't resist the creamy, buttery flavor of farm raised salmon.

Wild salmon is just so variable, and some have off flavors.

Which do you prefer?

I'm not sure which kind Sam's Club uses (I'd imagine farmed), but I like theirs - they are frozen skinless/boneless thick filets and individually shrink-wrapped inside a larger bag. It works out to about $2 each, which I price-justify against a Big Mac at McDonalds ;)

Here's my 5-star Salmon recipe: (awesome with Jasmine rice)

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=24270732&postcount=2
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
I know its just loaded with fat, but I can't resist the creamy, buttery flavor of farm raised salmon.

Wild salmon is just so variable, and some have off flavors.

Which do you prefer?

wild salmon. its more healthy for u than farm raised
 

OCGuy

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
27,224
37
91
"Farmed" salmon is disgusting. Even if you do not think so in the taste (I'm sure I eat farmed salmon all of the time at mid-range fish houses, generally if the menu just says "salmon", it is farmed) Let's just say their flesh in not naturally as pink like wild Alaskan salmon. I would rather eat a wild "Pink" salmon (aka "dog fish") than any farm-raised pellet-fed farmed/Atlantic salmon.

Silver salmon or King salmon....that is a treat.
 

techs

Lifer
Sep 26, 2000
28,559
4
0
cYSz6UE.jpg


I get the skinless 6oz gourmet singles. 350 calories at 3.50 dollars apiece.
 

Brigandier

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2008
4,394
2
81
I support farm raised but only because aquaponics is the future of feeding mankind.That said, the best salmon I tasted was caught out of Lake Michigan and smoked nicely.

Mofo that gave me some had two coolers full of delicious fish.
 

beachchica

Member
Mar 10, 2013
161
0
0
Wild salmon is PACKED with omega3 fatty acids. Farmed salmon has a lower omega3 content. There's nothing better and better for you than wild salmon. I'll never eat farmed.
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
126
I get the skinless 6oz gourmet singles. 350 calories at 3.50 dollars apiece.

*shakes head* You're missing the best part which is the crispy skin. The skin also protects the fillet meat when you're grilling it.
 

Brigandier

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2008
4,394
2
81
Wild salmon is PACKED with omega3 fatty acids. Farmed salmon has a lower omega3 content. There's nothing better and better for you than wild salmon. I'll never eat farmed.

I'm glad you support the raping of ecosystems to satiate your desire. I bet you eat rare tuna too.
 

ponyo

Lifer
Feb 14, 2002
19,688
2,811
126
Wild salmon is PACKED with omega3 fatty acids. Farmed salmon has a lower omega3 content. There's nothing better and better for you than wild salmon. I'll never eat farmed.

Not if you don't eat the skin which has most of the omega3. You have people here who eat farmed and skinless fish.
 

Sasqui

Member
Feb 19, 2013
37
0
0
Farm raised definitely has a more consistent flavor but man, the shit I've heard about it makes me want to eat a yeast infection.
 

Imported

Lifer
Sep 2, 2000
14,679
23
81
I'll get farmed (from Costco) when making salmon for dinner. Usually get wild if its on the menu at a restaurant though.
 

iGas

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2009
6,240
1
0
Wild. Farmed is flavorless.
I agree, and fresh farmed tend to have much stronger fishy odor to it than fresh wild.

Most salmon and halibut that I eat are the ones that I catch myself.

wild-vs-farm-300x220.jpg
 
Last edited:

Imported

Lifer
Sep 2, 2000
14,679
23
81
I'm not sure which kind Sam's Club uses (I'd imagine farmed), but I like theirs - they are frozen skinless/boneless thick filets and individually shrink-wrapped inside a larger bag. It works out to about $2 each, which I price-justify against a Big Mac at McDonalds ;)

Here's my 5-star Salmon recipe: (awesome with Jasmine rice)

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=24270732&postcount=2

I'm gonna have to try your recipe, looks good!

I usually make mine by slightly coating in olive oil then rubbing in a blend of a blend of paprika, cumin, coriander, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Let that set for 30 minutes or so then bake/grill. Goes well as a taco with some avocado and thinly sliced red onions.
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
51,118
6,968
136
I'm gonna have to try your recipe, looks good!

I usually make mine by slightly coating in olive oil then rubbing in a blend of a blend of paprika, cumin, coriander, onion powder, salt and black pepper. Let that set for 30 minutes or so then bake/grill. Goes well as a taco with some avocado and thinly sliced red onions.

It's really good...sort of a combination of steaming and grilling it. It's the way I like to eat salmon the best. Just make little foil boats and fill with salmon & the liquid mix, real easy. I'll have to try yours too...never had a salmon taco (had a fish taco with white fish and those were way good).
 

DrPizza

Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
Mar 5, 2001
49,601
167
111
www.slatebrookfarm.com
Some investigative show did a report on fish - actually, several have been done. What was discovered via dna testing is that a lot of time, the fish you're purchasing isn't really that species - it's a much cheaper substitute. And, I can't remember the percentage, but it was something like half, or more than half of "wild" salmon that you purchase is merely farmed salmon labeled as wild.


AND, which species of salmon? Some are far better than the others.
 

fuzzybabybunny

Moderator<br>Digital & Video Cameras
Moderator
Jan 2, 2006
10,455
35
91
Yeah, the state of our food industry is really really sad.

You are what you eat. By extension, fish are what they eat. By more extension, you are what the fish that you eat, eat. Unless farmed fish live in a farm that duplicates their natural environment (very unlikely), they are not even the same fish as the wild ones.

But of course there're a lot of issues with wild as well. Overfishing and expense are two big ones.
 

MagnusTheBrewer

IN MEMORIAM
Jun 19, 2004
24,122
1,594
126
Both farmed and wild species can be good but, they do have different profiles. The greatest factor is price because the majority of people buy food based on price and availability rather than taste or knowledge of the food product.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
2,738
126
I support farm raised but only because aquaponics is the future of feeding mankind.That said, the best salmon I tasted was caught out of Lake Michigan and smoked nicely.

Mofo that gave me some had two coolers full of delicious fish.

not really.
it takes 5tons of anchovive to raise 3.5tons of salmon.
still a losing propersition. net -1.5tons of fish