Excellent Salmon.

What else is there?

A lot, actually. Purchasing salmon is an interesting thing. There is a tremendous difference in grade between the elite Chinook salmon (King) and the common Humpback salmon (Pink). The meat of a fresh King in its prime is almost impossible to beat. Pinks are edible. In today’s supermarkets there are Pinks being advertised and sold as Kings – at King prices! This is great for the store and middleman, but an affront to both the fisherman and consumer. I have continued my personal evaluation of the quality and variety of salmon marketed as “fresh Salmon from Alaska!” Even recently I wandered into “a very prevalent worldwide superstore” and found Pink salmon (apparently processed in China) sold as such.

So why are we eating the lowest quality of our own goods? Where does the best fish go? The best fish go overseas. In the last 20 years, the going price for the best salmon in the world has plummeted. Pursuing the cause for this, a number of grim realities have surfaced. The late 80’s saw the number of returning Sockeye (Red salmon – a high quality fish) in great volume, and going for high prices. Because there was so much product and such great return for it, Fishermen began seeking markets for distribution of their goods. Foreign markets answered that call with their ability to purchase massive volumes of fish and sell off that inventory rapidly for quick turnover. At the same time foreign salmon farms began forming markets in the U.S. The reality is this: one of the best, healthiest food products in the world is being almost given away to foreign countries as they send us products that are toxic and unhealthy. Links: http://www.healthcastle.com/farmed-salmon.shtml http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/Fish.htm http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-grade-fish.htm

As we grow in understanding of which salmon are healthy to eat (a narrowing field) and the importance of eating those salmon as part of a healthy diet, a question arises:

How do I know the salmon I purchase are “taken care of”?

At Sought Out Salmon we are the Fishermen! We hand-select specific salmon for this market, only the best of the best! While freshly caught, we personally gill and chill each salmon in a specific process formulated to ensure the highest quality product possible. We maintain and assure the quality of the salmon from initial catch until it is delivered to you. Each year, Alaskans and fishermen around the world spend thousands of dollars to catch and process their own salmon in the hopes of getting the best there is, but if they do not “bleed” the fish and immediately reduce its core temperature, the salmon begins to degenerate. This causes the meat to become soft and taste “fishy”. Salmon purchased through Sought Out are of a higher quality than most caught even by rod and reel, because we know and implement the science required for a prime product.

It is the vision of Sought Out to have a direct relationship with our customers through our representatives, each of whom either knows the fishermen or has fished on the fish-site themselves. Few people have the opportunity to be in direct relation with the producers. Our hope is that the relationships established by this will eventually lead our customers to come and visit us here, in Alaska, and see for themselves. Please contact us if you'd like to be in touch with a representative.