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Red salmon (Benizake)

【Nigiri sushi: Shiromi】
Red salmon are distributed in the North Pacific Ocean from the standard Kuril Islands to the west coast of North America. They can reach a length of 90 cm. The back is dark blue, and the belly is silver-white. Like other salmon, they are born in rivers, migrate to the sea after 1–3 years, and return to their birth rivers after 2–3 years to spawn.Some individuals do not follow this life cycle and spend their entire lives in rivers, and these are called Himemasu. It remains small, growing to only 40–50 cm in length.

Its flesh is the reddest of all salmon species and does not lose its color when cooked. The firm, muscular flesh does not fall apart easily during processing or cooking and has a rich flavor. It is particularly popular for smoked salmon and grilling.

In the United States, “Wild Salmon” has established itself as a brand known for its health benefits, and since it is one of the few salmon species not commercially farmed, it commands the highest market price among salmon and trout species.

In places like Alaska and Canada, only a few sushi restaurants offer nigiri sushi, and in Japan, almost no sushi restaurants serve it. It seems that in the past, salmon caught as bycatch in the humpback salmon and chum salmon fisheries were served as sashimi or sushi in Hokkaido and other regions.

By the way, Kyokuyo developed “Ultra-low temperature freezing” primarily as a technology for freezing tuna, and later applied it to red salmon caught in the Bering Sea of the North Pacific, naming the product “Red toro.” This is not the fatty part of Atlantic salmon or king salmon.

It is also called Sockeye Salmon.

【Related contents】
What is Beni toro?

List of White flesh fish (Shiromi)