Wild Salmon is the Best. Just Ask a Bear!

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

We are proud to work with Sea to Table, a wonderful company that connects fisherman with chefs (including you!) Their approach to sustainable seafood is admirable and we love seeing what they have in store for us as the seasons change. One of our favorite goodies is the Sockeye Salmon. It's tender, flaky and full of flavor. 

Sockeye Salmon are born in freshwater then migrate to the ocean to grow, feed and mature. Next, 40 million salmon begin a journey upstream each year, back to their birthplace. Bristol Bay is the world's largest Sockeye Salmon run. For 6 weeks every summer, Sea to Table's fishermen catch salmon in small set net boats and land them at a dock at Graveyard Point, Bristol Bay. The salmon is immediately frozen at it's peak freshness.

Why eat frozen wild salmon, you may ask? We've got 4 great reasons!

1. The Alternative is Farmed

It takes many pounds of wild fish feed to raise a pound of farmed salmon and high levels of antibiotics are required. This makes it wasteful and risky. 2. It Supports Traditional Fishing Communities

Sea to Table works with Iliamna Fish Company, a family-owned fishing company that has been fishing Bristol Bay for generations. Christopher Nicholson and his family use sustainable practices passed down for generations to catch salmon at it's peak of flavor and ensure balance in the ecosystem. 

3. It Protects Wild Salmon

"When you eat Sockeye Salmon, you are voting with your fork to protect a precious natural resource that has sustained fishing communities and natives for millennium." Christopher Nicolson tells us, "It's hard to put a value on something that's been happening for 5,000 years." He's referring to the symbiosis between the salmon's migration back to their birthplace and the tradition on family fishing. 

4. It's Wild, Sustainable and So Delicious

As Sea to Table says, just ask a bear! Wild salmon eat wild food, such as smaller fish and krill (which causes their flesh to be so beautifully red!) They are active predators that swim all over the ocean, and then fight up rivers to get home to spawn. This leads to a higher protein content, as well as better ratio of good, healthy fats such as omega 3s. Farmed salmon on the other hand are fed pellets, and they aren't as active as wild salmon, so they don't have that wild, salmony flavor.

Sockeye Salmon is the most coveted U.S. species because of it's firm, bright red-orange flesh is so full of flavor. That's why we keep the preparation simple, like this week's Salmon.

Order Your Sockeye Salmon Meal >>