Pink Salmon is currently a hot topic and certainly a favourite of our Chef’s. As we move forward the realization that focusing on sustainable foods is no longer just a trend, it is a necessity for our society to maintain our way of life. We need to become more active in sourcing out food that contributes in a positive way to that.
Chef Garrett Schack and Sous Chef Mike Dunlop realized over two years ago that with Coho and Sockeye salmon sources depleting that they needed to do some research in order to keep the ever popular salmon on the menu. They discovered that Pink Salmon has garnered a negative reputation both with fishermen and the public, but is the most sustainable of all of the salmons.
Pink Salmon has never been a popular choice amongst retailers, constantly beaten out by the Sockeye and Coho harvests, fishermen for so long received little to no money for the Pink Salmon that the fish was treated as a bottom feeder and was more often than not, the very last item on the deck. This coupled with the fact that rumors were rampant that the Pink Salmon’s quality was lower than the other salmons, and concerns of the edibility of it caused the Pink Salmon to become the forgotten salmon.
Pink Salmon is actually a very versatile fish with a shorter life-span, meaning it is a far more sustainable fish. The average life-span of a Pink Salmon is approximately 2 years versus the average life-span of the Chinook and Sockeye spanning between 3 and 8 years. Pink Salmon on average are 3 – 4 lbs and are a very economical fish to purchase at the grocery store. The Pinks are just as easy to cook with as the rest of the salmons and consist of just as many nutrients and as much flavour.
Given all of this information Chef Schack and Chef Dunlop made the conscious decision to try and up the awareness of the Pink Salmon and so it became a staple part of the menu with a $1 from each dish sold to go towards the Pacific Salmon Foundation, a Foundation focused on raising awareness and education about the Pink Salmon.
For further information visit www.psf.ca
