The Difference Between Salmon Types

First of all, Salmon are anadromous, which mean that they are born in fresh-water rivers and streams. They migrate to the ocean to mature and then later return to these same fresh rivers and streams to reproduce.

Salmon can be divided into two main species making up of Atlantic and Pacific Salmon which are named according to the ocean that they reside in.

1. Atlantic salmon

The Atlantic salmon has large black spots on the gill cover. Large consumption demand over the years has led to numerous commercial salmon farms. The most common Atlantic salmon in Thailand can be divided into the 3 types below.

1.1 Norwegian salmon From Norway
The meat of the Norwegian salmon is firm and orange in color. The fish contains little amount of bones and not much fat content. The Norwegian salmon is the most consumed salmon in Thailand, because it is inexpensive and easy to buy.

1.2 Tasmanian salmon From Australia
The meat of the Tasmanian Salmon Fish is light orange. The smell of the fish is not too strong, and the meat texture is soft. The Price range is close to that of the Norwegian salmon.

1.3 Scottish salmon From Scotland
The meat of the Scottish salmon is reddish orange. However, compared to the other previous two, it contains a higher amount of fat which in turn make the flavor richer and therefore commands a higher selling price.

2. Pacific salmon (Pacific salmon)

This type of salmon can be found most common in the wild, unlike the Atlantic salmon, which is mostly raised in farms. The price of the Pacific salmon is also quite higher compared to the Atlantic salmon. The Pacific Salmon can be divided into five main species below.

2.1 Chinook
The Chinook is the largest Pacific wild salmon due to their massive size. They are valued for their rich flavor and firm texture. Therefore, they are known as the King Salmon. The chinook is native to the North Pacific Ocean and are mostly imported from New Zealand into Thailand.

2.2 Sockeye
The sockeye is another highly value pacific salmon and is known as the Red Salmon because of its deep red and orange meat texture. The color of the meat steam from their main food source which are plankton and shrimp. Sockeye can be found along the California coast all the way to the north coast of the Hokkaido islands in Japan.

2.3 Jammu (Chum)
The Jammu meat is Dark pink and have the lowest market value of the five Pacific salmon. This is because they are not as firm or rich compared to the other salmon. They are also called by other names such Keta and Dog (called Dogs because of its dog-like teeth).  Chum salmon is found in a variety of locations such as California, Fuji and Japan.

2.4 Cohoes (Coho)
Cohoes are known as the silver salmon. Its meat is more orange than red, with a mild flavor. They are often found along the Alaskan coast.

2.5 Pink (Pink)
As the name suggests the meat of this salmon lend toward a pale pinkish color and is light in texture. It is the smallest of the five Pacific salmon and most common. The pink salmon are found along shallow stream of northern California and Korea.