Eating Fish

[Jerry1]

I'm not a seafood eater. I've been thinking about adding salmon to my diet for health reasons to get the omega-3 benefits. Reading the latest Costco thread I came across this:

I can eat my weight in their honey smoked salmon . . .

How does smoked salmon compare to normally cooked salmon? I've had salmon but don't really like it. I can choke it down, but I'm not really interested in that. Is smoked salmon significantly different? Would it still contain the omega-3? If it's good, I could see maybe topping a salad with it or just eating it like jerky for an afternoon protein snack.

 

[RobbieB]

Smoked salmon is really good. Good on bagel with cream cheese, good on salads, good on crackers and good all by itself.

 

[audreyh1]

The honey smoked salmon is hot smoked salmon. Costco also carries lox, a cold smoked salmon with a very different texture. Neither is like jerky. Smoked salmon is much stronger tasting than fresh salmon.

 

[RobbieB]

Yeah, the hot smoked has a dark finish and is dryer. The "lox" version is pink and thin sliced.

Lox is better on bagels. Both are good in salad. Hot smoked is best by itself -

 

[Morgan22]

I've tried salmon cooked many different ways, but I just can't get past the taste. Even though it always looks so good! To me, smoked salmon had the strongest taste of all. So if you can barely get past the taste of grilled or baked salmon, I don't believe you would enjoy it smoked.
If you want more Omega 3s, walnuts are a good source, and chia seeds are even better.

 

[Jerry1]

I'm definitely talking about the hot smoked version. I had some smoked trout once and it was actually pretty good. No comparison?

 

[RobbieB]

Smoked salmon has a bit more flavor (more fat, more omega 3) than smoked trout. Both are excellent and somewhat related as steelhead are trout that hit saltwater and turn pink after like salmon.

 

[Alan]

Fortunately we love all the omega-3 rich fish including the smoked varieties of salmon, mackerel and herring (kippers). We also usually have canned fish on toast once a week. (Sardines, kippers, mackerel etc)

The thinly sliced smoked salmon you get in bagels and lox is something my wife doesn’t like so I only eat that while eating out, usually for breakfast, but the smoked salmon that comes in large flakes is my favorite and my wife likes it as well.

 

[braumeister]

I get the Norwegian smoked salmon almost every time I'm in Costco. Love the stuff, and besides being wonderful by itself, it goes extremely well with my breakfast eggs.

I'm also quite likely to just open a can of sardines as a snack.

 

[old medic]

Never been a big fish eater, but will smoke Salmon every other week. Sister and BIL came back from a fishing trip and asked us if we wanted some Tuna....
Brought us about 20 Lbs of it. Its good smoked to
.

 

[Badger]

We eat salmon for dinner at least once a week. It is our main "go to" fish. But as others have said it is one of the stronger fish flavors. We also enjoy smoked salmon but it is even a bit stronger but with cream cheese and bagels cut that a bit. Maybe this will help.

WHICH FISH IS THE RICHEST
IN OMEGA-3s? (PER 3 OUNCE COOKED PORTION)
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central at fdc.nal.usda.gov
If you are not able to meet the omega-3 recommendation from seafood
then consider supplementing with omega-3 EPA + DHA capsules.
> 1,000
milligrams
Anchovies
Herring
Mackerel
(Atlantic & Pacific)
Oysters (Pacific)
Sablefish (Black Cod)
Salmon
(Atlantic & Chinook)
Sardines
Tuna (Bluefin)
Whitefish

500 - 1,000
milligrams
Barramundi
Mussels
Salmon (Chum,
Coho, Pink &
Sockeye)
Sea Bass
Swordfish
Tilefish
Trout
Tuna (Albacore)

250 - 500
milligrams
Alaska Pollock
Crab
Flounder/Sole
Mackerel (King)
Rockfish
Snapper
Tuna
(Skipjack, canned)
Walleye
< 250
milligrams

Catfish
Clams
Cod
Crayfish
Grouper
Haddock
Halibut
Lobster
Mahi Mahi
Scallops
Shrimp
Tilapia
Tuna (Yellowfin)

Cheers!

 

[Winemaker]

I love and eat all sea food; clams, mussels, oysters, salmon, octopus, steelhead, halibut, grouper, snapper, mahi mahi, ahi, scallops, lobster, roughy, catfish, calamari, pickled herring, walleye and trout. Did I leave anythong out? I don't eat talapia or any farm raised fish, though.

 

[audreyh1]

I get the Norwegian smoked salmon almost every time I'm in Costco. Love the stuff, and besides being wonderful by itself, it goes extremely well with my breakfast eggs.

I'm also quite likely to just open a can of sardines as a snack.

A common breakfast for us: soft boiled eggs (which we carefully spoon out of the shell so they are really like poached eggs), and lox and Artichoke Jalapeño dip both from Costco.

 

[tmm99]

Smoked fish (of any kind) is way too much salt IMO, so if you want to eat salmon for omega-3, I would stick with fresh salmon. To me, raw salmon (sashimi) has the least smell, although its fattiness of it becomes more apparent, kind of buttery, which may turn you off. If you're not into raw fish, I suggest you cook your salmon minimally, say 350 degrees, for 13 or 14 minutes. The middle part may be slightly rare, but the salmon comes out very tender with much less smell. You can get very fresh salmon from reputable fishmongers. I live in Ontario now and I can get my hands of very fresh salmon pretty much anywhere...

 

[audreyh1]

You do have to be careful with undercooked fresh salmon. The places that serve raw salmon are required to flash freeze it thus killing parasites like nematodes. If you buy salmon fresh you need to cook it to 140 degrees to kill nematodes, especially common in wild fish. Tuna is the only exception.

 

[DrRoy]

I like salmon ok, but smoked is much better.

 

[easysurfer]

I like eating fish and other seafood. I'd think smoked with mask the taste and texture of non-smoked (which I prefer more, but I know the OP does not). For OP, best to do may to try a small portion smoked to see if you can tolerate.

I'm this way with carrots. I can't stand carrots almost anyway prepared. Know that carrots are good for me but have avoided most my life. Except when stewed. As long as not overdone, carrots stewed actually taste decent.

 

[FindingForward]

Love fresh sushi and cooked salmon. Love smoked meats. Yet abhor smoked salmon. It's the combination of smoked flavor and seafood together, I guess! OP - even if you do try and like it, it may be best enjoyed as an occasional treat along with other foods rich in omega 3s. The very high salt content of smoked meats is concerning. High sodium levels may compromise one's blood pressure, bone density, vision and other physical functions.

 

[MuirWannabe]

What part of Costco has the hot smoked salmon referenced by folks above? That sounds interesting to me.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

Smoked fish (of any kind) is way too much salt IMO, so if you want to eat salmon for omega-3, I would stick with fresh salmon. To me, raw salmon (sashimi) has the least smell, although its fattiness of it becomes more apparent, kind of buttery, which may turn you off. If you're not into raw fish, I suggest you cook your salmon minimally, say 350 degrees, for 13 or 14 minutes. The middle part may be slightly rare, but the salmon comes out very tender with much less smell. You can get very fresh salmon from reputable fishmongers. I live in Ontario now and I can get my hands of very fresh salmon pretty much anywhere...

You do have to be careful with undercooked fresh salmon. The places that serve raw salmon are required to flash freeze it thus killing parasites like nematodes. If you buy salmon fresh you need to cook it to 140 degrees to kill nematodes, especially common in wild fish. Tuna is the only exception.

I agree with both of you. So I use sashimi-grade salmon (from Sitka Salmon, https://www.sitkasalmonshares.com ), and then just give it a hard sear. I leave the inside almost raw. As tmm says, this has less fishy smell/taste than well-cooked salmon does.

 

[MarieIG]

Maybe you can taste a sample before you stock up and find out you can's swallow it . . .

I came up with a brine technique (pre-soaking) for cooking wild-caught salmon which reduces the fishy taste, but it still tastes like salmon - just a little bit less intense.

 

[MRG]

Absolutely love cold smoked. DW doesn't like it, so I get the entire package except what I share with the dogs. While it's great on bagels, I'll just have it with fruit. The dogs know the sound of the package coming from the fridge and are always ready.

 

[pacergal]

The alaskan Salmon fish oil capsules in the Costco pharmacy are another way to get good Omega if you don't like seafood. We have found them to cause much less "burping" and fish taste.

Trout is a good source of Omega and has a more mild taste than salmon. A good, fresh trout grilled with a bit of lemon and fresh dill is wonderful.

 

[Jerry1]

I didn’t realize that it would be high in salt. Unfortunately, that’s a deal breaker. I have kidney issues and have trouble with fluid retention so salt is something I have to stay on top of.

 

[FloridaJim57]

I wish I didn't but I hate fish (except catfish) and no matter how hard I tried to get to like it, I just could not. Rather than be miserable eating something I hate, I opt for grass fed beef. Although perhaps not as good as fish, it is not as bad as regular corn fed steaks and hamburgers. I also tried Bison but then I read that unless it says "grass fed" Bison is no better than regular beef. Most Bison are fed a mix of grass and corn and other grains, which is not so good.