The Basics

Though most of us know a salmon when we see one, not all salmon are the same. In East Coast stores we’re most likely to encounter farm-raised Atlantic salmon and, less frequently. Pacific salmon, while on the West Coast, the reverse is true. There are a number of species of Pacific salmon—many of which are wild, some of which are farmed—but only one species of Atlantic salmon, practically all of which is farmed. Farmed Atlantic salmon is sold already gutted and in fairly standardized sizes, usually 8 to 12 pounds, 40 percent of which are bones and head. Even though Pacific and Atlantic salmon look similar, they are not only different species, but also members of different genera. Both Pacific and Atlantic salmon are, however, members of the same family Salmonidae, which includes trout and Arctic char.