Compare chum salmon and pink salmon | Determine the best
Red fish is not only a delicacy, but also a very useful product. It contains a huge amount of vitamins, fatty acids, trace elements and other important nutrients. However, “red fish” is a common name for a huge number of salmon varieties.
Thus, the "red fish" may be called salmon, pink salmon, sockeye salmon, salmon, chum salmon, trout and many other species. And it is quite different from each other. In addition to chum salmon and pink salmon, they are very similar and often “replace” each other in the stores.
Therefore, housewives may have a reasonable question: "What is better and more useful - chum or pink salmon?". We will understand this material.
Chum
Chum salmon is a large Pacific salmon. She chooses cold water for living and does not breed in captivity, therefore in Russia she is practically not caught. They produce chum salmon in Alaska, from where they are delivered in fresh-frozen form all over the world.
The size of chum is record even in the family of salmon fishes. It grows up to 1.5 meters in length and can weigh up to 15 kilograms. Actually, the large dimensions of the chum salmon in combination with excellent nutritional qualities make the chum salmon valuable commercial fish.
In general, chum salmon is characterized by the following features:
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Bright pink color of meat, which is especially noticeable in fresh and salted fillets. During heat treatment, the saturation of the hue is slightly lost, but the taste is preserved;
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Subtle, inconspicuous fragrance, which is quite difficult to feel;
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Dry, fat-free texture. Due to this, chum fillet is perfect for cooking steaks and heat treatment - the fish retains its shape when frying and when boiling, even in relatively small pieces. However, like other red breeds, the texture of the meat is tender and melting regardless of the cooking method;
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Calorie keta fillets - 125 kcal per 100 grams. Of course, it varies depending on the method of preparation. For example, when frying with the use of oil (which is not recommended, because the original taste of the fish is lost), the caloric content increases.
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The main advantage of chum salmon is a lot of vitamins in meat. So, it contains B5, B6, B9 and B12. In addition, in keta, as in any other red fish, there are essential unsaturated fatty acids for the body, including Omega-3 and Omega-6.
So let's summarize.
Virtues
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Rich in B vitamins;
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Well suited for heat treatment, including frying in the form of steaks or steaming;
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Only natural catch, because it is not found in captivity.
disadvantages
- Practically it is not caught in Russia, therefore on the shelves mostly imported.
Choosing chum salmon, it is advisable to buy the fish of the autumn catch. It tastes better than the one caught in spring.
Chum salmon
Chum salmon caviar is a valuable, delicious product. It is distinguished not only by its excellent taste, but also visually very beautiful. Chum salmon caviar is large, bright red. The size of the eggs is about 4-5 mm, the shell is quite dense, so that when cooking, they do not burst.
Chum salmon caviar is characterized by high protein content. And it is easily digestible, quickly digested and does not create a feeling of heaviness in the stomach.In addition, it contains many vitamins and other nutrients.
It is also worth noting that many people consider chum salmon caviar to be more delicious than other salmon fish.
Pink salmon
Pink salmon - one of the most common and inexpensive salmon fish. It is caught on the territory of Russia and often grown on special farms. Therefore, the price for it is low, and you can find it at any grocery store.
Moreover, unlike other salmon fish, pink salmon is readily available in a variety of different species. You can easily get her carcass, already decapitated and gutted, balyk, canned, salted and even “puck” steaks. However, in the latter form, it is of little use. The fact is that pink salmon is a small fish. It usually grows to 70-80 centimeters and reaches a weight of up to 5-6 kilograms. Therefore, the steaks, "washers" from it are too small.
In general, pink salmon is characterized as follows:
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Pale pink meat color. However, it is retained during heat treatment and is enhanced to saturated red at salting;
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Delicate aroma in salted and fresh form, which is enhanced by boiling or frying;
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Relatively fatty meat. Nevertheless, it has a rather dense texture, which may seem dryish to some people. Especially strongly "dryness" becomes noticeable after heat treatment, in which fish oil is smelted from meat. The taste is bright and saturated;
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The calorie content of pink salmon is up to 150 kcal per 100 grams. Of course, it increases with some forms of cooking (for example, frying with oil, which is not recommended). Lightly salted and steamed pink salmon may well be considered dietary dishes.
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Pink salmon is very rich in microelements. Its fillet contains iodine, manganese, chromium and fluorine in an easily digestible form. Pink salmon oil mainly consists of vital fatty acids, including Omega-3 and Omega-6.
So let's summarize.
Virtues
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Low price and widespread - due to the fact that pink salmon is both caught and grown in Russia;
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A large number of essential fatty acids and trace elements;
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Dense texture, which is preserved during heat treatment.
disadvantages
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Pink salmon meat may seem dryish, especially after heat treatment, which involves melting fat;
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Relatively high caloric content - more than most other salmon fish.
You can distinguish where the pink salmon was caught by the color of the abdomen. If it is white, it is an ocean fish. If it is yellowish or greenish, it is returned to fresh water. Pink salmon meat slightly varies in taste depending on the habitat, however, it is necessary to determine the appropriate option based on your own impressions.
Salmon roe
Pink salmon caviar has the lowest price. Size - medium (diameter of eggs is 3-4 millimeters). The color is more orange than red.
The taste of caviar depends on the quality of salting. By itself, it has a delicate, not too pronounced flavor bouquet. Eggs are distinguished by a rather dense shell that does not burst when cooking or decorating a dish.
Comparison
So, let's compare these two species of salmon fishes and determine which is better.
Characteristic |
Chum |
Pink salmon |
Spread |
Mostly caught in alaska |
Catch and grow in Russia |
Price |
Average |
Below average |
Dimensions |
Large, up to 150 cm |
Medium, up to 70-80 cm |
Fillet color |
Hot pink, turns pale when cooking |
Pale pink, preserved when cooked |
Texture |
Dry |
Dry, dense, becomes denser and drier when cooking |
Calories per 100 grams |
Up to 120 kcal |
Up to 150 kcal |
Useful material |
Omega-3, omega-6, vitamins of group B |
Omega-3, Omega-6, trace elements (iodine, manganese, chromium, fluorine) |
Caviar |
Large, bright red, rich in protein |
Average, orange, taste depends on the degree of salting |
In general, pink salmon is a “red fish of wide consumption”. The relatively low price and wide representation in the stores make it accessible to all. But keta, although it is considered somewhat more tasty and valuable, is less common and has a higher price.