Salmon

Salmon consumed in America comes from both the Atlantic and the Pacific and is caught wild as well as farm-raised. The Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and its Pacific counterparts—sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka); Chinook (O. tshawytscha); chum (O. keta); coho, or silver, salmon (O. kisutch); and pink, or humpback, salmon (O. gorbuscha)—are all anadromous. Salmon ranks among the most favored of finfishes of the past and present. Salmon are eaten fresh and are available as fillets, as steaks, and in the round. They are poached, baked, and grilled. The rich flesh accepts salt and smoke; can be made into uncooked but cured products, such as gravlax and lomi salmon; and is used in sushi and sashimi. Tlingit people caught salmon on its way to spawning and dried the flesh.