Buzz
I feel incredibly lucky to have been guided by the chef at Moon BBQ restaurant on how to distinguish between sushi and sashimi, ensuring I can enjoy the right type of natural salmon.
Among all types of sushi and sashimi, salmon is the most commonly chosen ingredient. However, not everyone knows how to select and differentiate between natural and farmed salmon. I was lucky to receive guidance from the chef at Moon BBQ restaurant on Nguyen Khanh Toan Street, Hanoi, on how to choose and differentiate fresh natural salmon.
Chef Moon BBQ's Salmon Differentiation Techniques
With decades of culinary experience, the head chef can easily distinguish between wild Norwegian and farmed salmon. Due to the high cost of directly imported salmon from Norway or Japan, many restaurants opt for farmed salmon from Sapa, Vietnam. Despite advertising natural salmon, many places serve farmed salmon, making this article very useful for those who love to eat salmon.
At first glance, the chef showed me that wild-caught salmon has a brighter orange-red color than farmed salmon. The fat layers are thinner and whiter, and much more delicate compared to farmed salmon. Understanding this better, the head chef at Moon BBQ explained that natural salmon feeds on marine creatures such as shrimp, insects, red algae, etc., hence the reddish hue of the flesh.
The clear difference between farmed salmon (left) and wild-caught salmon (right)
When looking at farmed salmon, these fat layers are about 3 times thicker and have a cloudy white color compared to natural salmon. Furthermore, the texture of wild-caught salmon is about 5 times firmer because they swim in the vast ocean environment instead of cramped fish farms. The feed for farmed salmon is relatively poor, consisting mainly of grains, sometimes supplemented with animal organs.
Due to these reasons, natural salmon meat is very aromatic, firm, and rich in nutrients, not bland and soft like farmed salmon. According to a study by American scientists, oceanic diseases and parasites are much less prevalent than in aquaculture regions. Therefore, for farmed salmon to survive, owners must vaccinate or administer antibiotics to prevent diseases.
The head chef at Moon BBQ restaurant is preparing natural Norwegian salmon to make sushi and sashimi
Chef Moon BBQ also reminded me - a frequent consumer of salmon sushi and sashimi - to eat at restaurants with natural salmon to ensure health. Because unreliable fish farms feed salmon with color-enhancing agents to make the flesh red like natural salmon, this substance is called PCBs. PCBs can increase the risk of dementia or Alzheimer's, and long-term exposure can lead to memory loss or cancer.
Conclusions after comparison
To demonstrate the difference between the salmon at Moon BBQ where he works and farmed salmon, he took the trouble to go to the market to buy salmon for comparison. Furthermore, reputable sources of natural salmon must have certification and strict 24/24 preservation procedures to prevent contamination. The basic points I learned after eating salmon sushi or sashimi include:
- Farmed salmon has pale pink flesh while natural salmon has a deep orange color, fresh
- Farmed salmon has thick, cloudy white fat layers, while natural salmon is very lean, with little fat or thin white fat layers
The salmon at Moon BBQ is natural salmon, so the fat layers are very delicate, and the flesh is fresh red
