How to Tell if Your Salmon Is Truly Wild

A few days ago, a New York Times article about wild salmon caught my eye. The disturbing research in the article showed that farm-raised salmon is all too often mislabeled and sold as wild.

Well, that doesn't fly with me. So I called Peter Molinari, manager of the fish counter at Eataly in New York City, and asked him for tips on how I can be sure I'm getting the salmon I want at the grocery story. Luckily, he gave me three things to look out for.

1. Price

A ridiculously low price point should be the first sign that the salmon isn't wild. "If someone is charging $19 a pound for wild King salmon, there's something wrong," says Molinari. True King salmon—the most expensive variety of wild salmon—is never under $20 a pound. In fact, $35 a pound is a more common price.

2. Uniformity

"If every fillet is uniform, that’s another problem," Molinari says. Farmed salmon is weighed when graded, so each fillet will be exactly the same size. Wild salmon isn't weighed, so the fillets will be a multitude of sizes.

3. Color

Wild salmon comes in an array of colors, from bright red to deep orange. Farmed salmon, on the other hand, will always sport that salmon-y, orangish-pink hue. While you're at it, also check how fatty the fish is. "Wild salmon should not be fatty," says Molinari. "Farmed salmon will have more white veins on the belly—something similar to fat marbling on meat."

Our Newest Recipes