Everything You Should Know About Trout and Salmon

I really enjoy Trout and Salmon. Some people like one, some people like the other, some people like both, some people like none. I happen to like both. They are very different fish. I will now go on to explain what I like about each. They are similar, but slightly different depending on variety. They are also very healthy fish. High in Omega 3 fatty acids (but not Omega 6 fatty acids), proteins, B-12. Depending on the variety, they can also be very low in mercury. For example, wild-caught Pacific salmon are extremely low in mercury, whereas farmed Atlantic salmon have a merely "low" rating in mercury content.

This is a specific type of trout:

This is a specific type of Salmon:

There are many different species of Trout and Salmon, so I'm probably generalizing here. Trout is a mostly freshwater fish (although there do exist saltwater trout, but they mostly come back to spawn in freshwater). Trout are usually bonier than salmon. Trout has a milder taste, but is also oily. I believe Salmon is more naturally sweet. I really enjoy raw salmon, but I don't think I've had raw trout before. I think that the texture of trout might be more delicate than that of salmon, but I don't know, I'm not an expert. I did have really great fresh-smoked Trout in Mallaig, Scotland. This variety is a sea trout (saltwater) and is very good.

Remember that Atlantic and Pacific salmon are very different as well. Atlantic Salmon should have lighter flesh, and should be fattier than Pacific Salmon.

If you want to try something that is kind of a hybrid, have the Steelhead Trout. Or Arctic Char. What matters is that you like the taste. One of my upcoming posts will be about the different types of sushis that you should enjoy. In addition, don't make the mistake and assume that Trout is a skinny Asian guy who runs around campus shirtless in short-shorts.