Food - Drink
Why You Shouldn’t Only Pay Attention To Color When Buying Salmon
By JOHN J LEE
With a gorgeous color and buttery, flakey texture, salmon is a highly respected dish by chefs around the world. When browsing for this sought-after ingredient, it’s good to be familiar with what signs to look for to get the best quality, but contrary to what you may have been taught, it’s best to rely on senses other than sight when picking salmon.
Many people are taught to look for color when picking out salmon, but there are lots of different salmon, with a variety of pinkish-orange coloring. Looking at color is only helpful in determining what kind of salmon you’re looking at rather than its freshness. However, it’s always good to inspect the flesh for discoloration.
Rather, you should look for blemishes, cuts, and irregularities in the flesh, and dryness; these are the cuts to avoid. Salmon skin and flesh should look wet and feel slick to the touch. It should also be firm and bouncy rather than mushy, and always avoid salmon that is falling apart at the touch. Lastly, smell your salmon; it shouldn’t smell fishy but should smell lightly of the sea.