Sources

Salmon: Wild & Farmed

The wild. And the farmed. It’s tempting to try to separate salmon into just two categories. But it’s far from that simple. Because in North America, wild salmon is incredibly diverse. Each year as the sun warms the coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest, salmon run. First, the Kings. Then, the vermilion-hued Sockeyes. And last to migrate upstream, the Cohos.

As such, wild-caught salmon is foremost seasonal salmon. Its flavor and texture are always distinctive of a particular time and place (think: clean, crisp mountain air where bears roam the evergreen forests). Extremely short fishing seasons—in place to maintain the health of future salmon generations—make a wild salmon something precious to behold.

"We work with highly principled fishermen in Oregon and Washington to source ethically caught salmon of the highest quality, packed with ocean flavor and healthy Omega 3s."

King salmon are exquisitely fatty and deeply flavored. They are known for their massive size. Available at Citarella April through September, king salmon have a robust texture and flavor that holds up against an open flame.

Sockeye salmon is celebrated for its bold flavor and shock of red color. Its season is extremely short, just June through August each summer. This lean salmon takes well to a preparation heavy on smoke and spice.

Small and silver-skinned, Coho salmon pairs mild flavor with lean texture and a deep orange flesh that’s fantastic grilled with fresh herbs. Coho is available from just July through October. And overseas, a new era of salmon sustainability is being cultivated and harvested in far-off Norway, Ireland, and New Zealand. To call it “farmed” is an understatement.

"This is 21st century salmon bred, fed, and handled with the highest standards in deep, cold, rough conditions that mimic the ideal habitat for salmon in the wild."

And it’s the quality and consistency—and year-round availability—that has created a new standard for ethically sourced, farmed seafood. Like at Ora King, where innovative aquaculture farmers use state of the art technology and the pristine waters of New Zealand’s Marlborough Sound to create a revolutionary premium king salmon with marbled fat, buttery texture, and a rich, clean flavor.

Or, in Norway or Ireland where we source our certified organic salmon. Raised in an environment marked by choppy, cold water on a strict diet of all-natural feed without hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs, this is salmon that’s rich flavored, marbled, and moist.

"And this salmon isn’t just delicious. It's good for you. Omega 3s are linked to heart health. And that’s why 'eat more fatty fish' is a rallying cry for both nutritionists and celebrated chefs (the nutrient rich oil (i.e. the fat) is where all the flavor comes from)."

Wild caught or sustainably farmed, Citarella gourmet market is the source for the world’s finest, fresh salmon.

SHOP CITARELLA SALMON