Farm-Raised Salmon Wins Taste Test Over Wild-Caught

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Which tastes better, wild king salmon from the rivers of Washington, or Costco Atlantic salmon from the freezer? The answer, surprisingly, is the latter, according to the judges of a blind taste test held by The Washington Post.

The panel included seafood chefs, restaurateurs, wholesalers and writers from the Post's Food section. The chef was Scott Drewno, executive chef of Washington restaurant The Source, which is owned by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.

All of the portions were steamed and served with a little salt, but the Costco fillets had a possible advantage: they are packed in a four per cent salt solution. Many of the tasters noted and liked the saltiness.

The frozen fish is $5 per pound cheaper than the other nine tested, yet it swept the tasting, scoring 7.6 out of 10. Overall, farm-raised fish was a clear winner, taking the top five spots. BF