When it comes to the fish we consume, salmon is at the top of the list of America’s favorite varieties. And for good reasons—it’s incredibly versatile and well known for its health benefits. Plus, it’s convenient—salmon is readily available fresh, frozen, or even canned. Here are a few important facts about the extra popular fish.
There are Many Varieties of Salmon
Most of the salmon we eat is named after the region it came from. Pacific salmon covers a range of popular salmon including chinook (king), sockeye, and the less pricey coho variety. However, this rule doesn’t apply to Atlantic salmon, which is a popular name for farmed salmon. To be sure about the origins of salmon, you can always ask your fishmonger exactly what kind of salmon they’re buying.
Salmon is Very Important to the Ecosystem
Salmon isn’t just nutritious for humans, it’s also vital for the health of wildlife and ecosystems. Grizzly bears don’t only count on salmon as food, but they also carry the carcasses to the forest floor, leaving behind valuable carbon-sulfur, and nitrogen, fertilizing the soil.
Wild-Caught Salmon is the Smarter Choice
Wild salmon has a stronger flavor and is higher in omega-3 fatty acids than farm-raised fish. It’s also the more sustainable choice. Farmed salmon is worrying for a number of reasons—large amounts of farmed fish tend to escape their net cages and harm wild populations, and the farms themselves are responsible for an alarming amount of pollution.
