Sockeye Salmon

Name: Sockeye salmon, also called red salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) — a Pacific salmon with deep red flesh, firm texture and a rich, strong flavour. Its bright red colour, from the carotenoids in the krill it eats, makes it easy to recognise, and it is among the most prized wild salmon.

Description

Sockeye salmon are found in the North Pacific, and spawn in rivers and lakes from Alaska and British Columbia to Japan. Bristol Bay in Alaska has the world's largest wild sockeye run, with tens of millions of fish returning each summer, in a fishery managed to remain sustainable. In spawning, their bodies turn bright red and their heads green.

Sockeye has less fat than king salmon but more than pink or coho, and a firm texture, and a more intense salmon flavour. It is sold fresh, frozen, smoked and canned. The deep red colour holds when cooked, making it attractive on a plate.

Main nutrition value

Sockeye salmon is an oily fish, and a rich source of the long-chain omega-3 fats EPA and DHA, vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium and protein. It is a very rich source, with the carotenoid astaxanthin giving its colour, and is low in mercury.

How best to be consumed

Sockeye salmon is firm and flavourful, and is best not overcooked.

1. Bake, grill or pan-sear fillets for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until just opaque in the centre, since the lean flesh dries out.
2. Brush with a glaze of soy, maple and ginger, or serve simply with lemon and dill.
3. Smoke it, cure it, or flake canned sockeye into salads and patties.
4. Cook to 63°C, or a little less for a medium centre.
5. Look for wild-caught Alaskan or MSC-certified sockeye.

Overconsumption could cause…

Sockeye salmon is healthy in food amounts.

1. Fish allergy, which can be severe and is usually lifelong, so anyone allergic must avoid fish and check labels, including fish in sauces and dressings.
2. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since fish and shellfish are moderately high in purines.
3. Food poisoning and parasites (such as anisakis worms) from raw or undercooked fish, so use fish sold as suitable for raw eating, freeze it first, and take extra care in pregnancy and with weak immunity.
4. Environmental contaminants such as PCBs and dioxins, which build up in the fat of oily fish, so eating a variety of fish and trimming skin and fat can help, and the benefits of oily fish generally outweigh the risks for most people.
5. High salt (sodium), which can raise blood pressure over time, especially in cured, smoked or canned fish. This applies to smoked and canned sockeye.

GroupsOily FishFinfishHigh proteinLow sodiumRich in omega-3Rich in seleniumRich in vitamin B12Fresh

Related foodsSalmonAnchoviesPink SalmonSpanish MackerelRainbow TroutFresh Tuna

Wikipedia — Sockeye salmon, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockeye_salmon