The mistake people make with salmon, and the secret behind its orange color
Rich, buttery, and perfectly textured, it is no coincidence that salmon ranks at the top of the list of the world’s most beloved fish, especially in the United States. Salmon, known in Hebrew by its official name, altit, is probably the most versatile ingredient modern cuisine has to offer. Whether you like it raw in sushi and sashimi, smoked, cured, or simply baked, roasted, fried, or even in a hot stew, salmon always delivers. Thanks to its accessibility and ease of preparation, it has become a staple in many kitchens. Salmon is much more than just a fish, it is a global culinary mainstay that every culture has made its own.
For example, among Indigenous peoples in the Pacific Northwest of North America, salmon has been a sacred staple for thousands of years. At ceremonial feasts, they serve it smoked, baked, or in soup, and make a point of using every part of the fish, including the skin and bones, out of respect for nature. On the other side of the map, in Europe, Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine gave us lox, salt-cured salmon fillet that became the perfect match for a bagel with cream cheese. At the same time, Nordic cuisine brought the world gravlax, cured with dill, and lohikeitto, the Finnish salmon and cream soup.
4 View gallery 150 grams, two or three times a week, and you are set. Salmon (Photo: Jacek Chabraszewski, Shutterstock)
And if you look further afield, you find the Japanese revolution: hard as it may be to believe, until the 1980s the Japanese did not eat raw salmon in sushi at all, because of fears of parasites in wild fish. The revolution happened thanks to brilliant marketing by Norway, which introduced them to clean and safe farmed salmon. The rest is history that changed sushi bars around the world.
Atlantic versus Pacific: two very different worlds of salmon
In the global market, salmon is usually divided into two commercial groups, Atlantic salmon and Pacific salmon. Atlantic salmon is the undisputed king of supermarket shelves and restaurants, mainly because it is almost entirely farmed and available year-round. Countries such as Norway, Chile, Scotland, and Canada have become major centers for Atlantic salmon farming, and it is generally considered a fattier, more delicate, and softer fish, one that works especially well for grilling, baking, sushi, and dishes that call for a tender, uniform texture.
Across from it stands the Pacific salmon family, not one fish but a group of different species, including chinook, also known as king, sockeye, also called red, coho, known as silver, and also pink and chum. Unlike Atlantic salmon, much of the Pacific salmon sold around the world comes from wild catch, mainly Alaska and the west coast of North America, though chinook and coho can also come from aquaculture. The difference between the species is also noticeable in the bite: Pacific salmon tends to be less uniform than Atlantic salmon, and is sometimes leaner, firmer, and more strongly flavored with a more pronounced ocean taste. Sockeye, for example, is identified with a deep red-orange color, firm texture, and richer flavor. Chinook is considered one of the more prestigious and fattier Pacific varieties, while coho falls somewhere in the middle, more delicate than chinook, but still with a more distinct character than farmed Atlantic salmon.
4 View gallery Salmon jumping in river waters (Photo: Shutterstock)
The stunning orange-red color of salmon is its trademark, but how does it get there? In nature, fish feed on plankton, crustaceans, and krill rich in natural pigments that color their flesh. Farmed fish, by contrast, do not get that diet in the wild, and their natural flesh tends to be grayish-white. To give them the appealing appearance we all look for in the supermarket, farmers add pigments to their processed feed. They do this using a special color fan called the Roche color card, also known as SalmoFan. It is the official color chart of the fish industry, functioning like a paint fan for walls, only for salmon’s orange hue. Fish farmers use this numbered card to determine the dosage of pigments they add to the feed. The process allows them to precisely engineer the fish’s shade according to consumer preference, from pale orange for the German market, to bright orange for Israel, and deep red for the Japanese sushi market.
“Eat it 2 to 3 times a week”
Salmon is considered one of the most nutritious fish, but there are many questions surrounding its consumption, from the differences between types of fish to the recommended cooking methods. To sort things out, we turned to Meital Levi, a clinical dietitian at Leumit Health Services, with all the questions worth knowing.
What are salmon’s main nutritional values?
“Salmon is rich in high-quality animal protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are the healthiest in terms of their fat composition. In addition, it contains a good amount of vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, potassium, and iodine. It provides an excellent combination of vitamins, minerals, protein, and omega-3.”
How many times a week is it recommended to eat salmon?
“The general recommendation is to consume a serving of about 150 grams, two to three times a week, in order to get omega-3 fatty acids. Twice a week is recommended, but three times is also considered safe. It is not necessary to consume more than that, but in general there should not be a problem even with a larger amount.”
Is there a significant health difference between farmed salmon and wild salmon?
“Farmed salmon is fed in a controlled way, so it contains a good and known amount of omega-3. However, it is fattier, which means more calories and sometimes more organic contaminants because it is not grown in deep water. Wild salmon, on the other hand, is leaner, contains fewer calories and fewer contaminants. Although it is considered healthier, because it is not fed a controlled diet, it may contain less omega-3. Another consideration is that wild salmon is more expensive.”
4 View gallery Also their favorite food. Grizzly bear in Alaska eating salmon (Photo: R. Harding Photography/Shutterstock)
Is there a risk of heavy metals like mercury or toxins in salmon?
“Salmon is considered relatively safe to consume, with low levels of mercury, less than tuna, for example. However, it is not advisable to overdo it, especially for pregnant women or children. The general population, by contrast, does not need to limit consumption.”
Are the pigments added to farmed salmon safe for health?
“As far as is known, yes. The pink color comes from astaxanthin, a carotenoid found naturally in the food chain. These pigments give the fish its color, they are safe for consumption, and they are not known to cause any problem.”
Which cooking method best preserves the fish’s nutritional values and omega-3?
“The best method is steaming, a short process that preserves the omega-3, the vitamins, and the texture. Baking at a relatively low temperature, around 160 to 180 degrees Celsius, is also recommended. The least recommended method is frying, which adds calories, causes oxidation of fatty acids, and creates less desirable compounds.”
What nutritional ingredients go best with it in a meal?
“First of all, vegetables. A fresh salad or steamed vegetables with the fish is excellent. It is a good idea to focus on vegetables like bell peppers and tomatoes, which are rich in vitamin C and improve iron absorption. In addition, it is recommended to add a quality carbohydrate such as sweet potato, quinoa, or legumes.”
Is smoked or cured salmon as healthy as fresh salmon, and what should one be careful about?
“Smoked or cured salmon still contains protein and omega-3, but its vitamins are reduced during processing. In addition, the smoking process can lead to the formation of less healthy compounds, and of course smoked fish contains much more salt.”
Are there certain populations that should limit salmon consumption?
“With fresh salmon, mainly pregnant women, children, or people who need to limit protein because of kidney problems should be cautious. When it comes to smoked or cured salmon that is high in salt, anyone with kidney problems or high blood pressure should limit consumption, like any salty food.”
Is there a nutritional difference between fresh salmon and frozen salmon?
“In most cases the difference is very small. The fish is frozen shortly after being caught, so it retains its protein and omega-3. The amount of vitamins will be slightly lower, but not by a significant margin that would make us need to go fishing ourselves.”
Chef tips: how to make perfect salmon at home
Over the past two decades, salmon has become one of the most popular fish in Israeli cuisine, and some would say it has almost replaced the legendary princess fish and carp. It stars in Friday meals in many families, usually in a spicy chraimeh sauce, in a sweet Asian version, or simply with olive oil and herbs in the oven, takes pride of place in quick lunch solutions for children, and of course leads as the most sought-after ingredient in Israel’s endless sushi deliveries.
4 View gallery It is not steak. Please behave accordingly (Photo: Shutterstock)
“Israelis like their salmon well-done, but the taste is changing, and little by little they are moving toward raw,” says Elad Amitai, chef, cooking teacher, and the man behind “HaCarmel 40” in Carmel Market.
How do you identify a truly fresh and high-quality salmon fillet in supermarkets and fish shops?
“First of all, I prefer it to be truly fresh and not thawed, ‘fresh frozen.’ Beyond that, it should shine, the orange color should be bright orange, and the texture should be smooth and slimy, not velvety. Above all, the flesh should look very firm and not soft and crumbling.”
What is the most common mistake home cooks make when preparing salmon?
“In general, you must not treat salmon like a beef steak and grill it like a muscle, because then it simply dries out. Salmon is built from fibers, layers upon layers, connective tissue, and fat. The grilling should not be especially aggressive, and there is no real reason to reach a well-done stage, where it only dries out and remains fiber upon fiber.”
So how do you prevent salmon from drying out?
“You should keep a steady temperature when cooking, not too high and not too low, something like 180 to 190 degrees on the pan. And it is very important not to flip it, but to rotate it. If we have a cube, then side, side, side, side. In this rotation we preserve continuity in the cooking and leave a ‘pink finger’ in the center, and that is fine.”
What surprising flavor combination or ingredient works perfectly with salmon?
“There is nothing surprising. What is surprising is what works less well, and for many people it creates a bit of a clash. There is a clash between the rich aromatic oils of salmon and lemon juice. It is not that acidity has no place, but it should come from another source, whether yuzu, which is more subtle, or mild vinegar or mustard. It is better not to go with lemon and salmon, neither in tartare nor raw.”
What is your golden rule when it comes to preparing salmon?
“I take a whole fillet, score it deeply into cubes, like with a mango, brush it with oil, season it, and put it in the oven. When the thin edges reach well-done, I take it out. The beauty of this method is that it creates different levels of doneness in the same cut, those who like their fish well cooked get the edges, those who like medium get the middle, and those who prefer their fish juicy and almost raw enjoy the center of the cut. That way everyone at the table is happy.”
