An old bud of mine from when I was in the Seabees, Gary Hall, used to have a fishing guide service in Haines, AK
When his clients would catch a white salmon, they would be disappointed, so he'd give them a red in exchange. Gary used to say they were white because they ate shrimp and krill.
I'm not sure if the articles below and above, dispels that statement or not.
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs071/1103123744257/archive/1103547974607.htmlWhite King Salmon
Let me tell you a fish story.... this one has all sorts of twists and turns and very little of it can be scientifically proven. The more you research and read about it, the more fantastical (perhaps ridicluous?) it becomes. This is the story of the elusive and delectable White King.
Red and White King SalmonView from Copper River Bridge
We begin with a quote from The Nourishing Gourmet:
"The most succulent and flavorful of all salmon, Ivory salmon is a luminous white fleshed King salmon native to certain rivers of southeast Alaska and Canada. Most salmon get their typical red or pink color from carotene in the food they eat (crustaceans such as shrimp and krill), but white or Ivory Kings are genetically prediposed with an extra enzyme to process carotene rather than collect it. Ivory salmon tends to be milder, silkier and more buttery in flavor than regular Kings. Ivory salmon are rare and difficult to find, but we believe they are worth the search and urge you to splurge should you encounter one at your local market. "
For years the best information we had was that White Kings were exclusively "herring fed" fish, so this extra enzyme theory is new and more realistic information. Knowing what voracious predators salmon are, it was rather difficult to imagine that a salmon was somehow swimming along in the ocean and deciding that they'd really just rather pass on the shrimp dinner. I will also say though, from years of personal experience, that White Kings are not exclusive to Alaska and Canada, we have a population of local Whites that are often caught out of Westport on our family boat.
White King - the belly cut shows the color!whole white king
We've also heard some other interesting information about White Kings but please, take it with a rather large grain of salt! Some sport fisherman claim that they can actually tell by the behavior of the salmon after it hits a lure if it's red or white. Whites, apparently, swim for the bottom while the reds head directly away from the boat. Regardless how they do (or do not) fight on the hook, the reality is that it's impossible to tell if a King is a red or a white from the "outside". They are the same species of fish, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and only about one in 20 Kings are white, so they're somewhat limited on the market as well. For years White Kings were sold at a lower price than red but over the past 5-10 years the tide has turned on the color preference and now whites are often several dollars a pound more
http://seattletimes.com/pacificnw/2004/1024/taste.htmlThe Fairest of Fish
In the current kingdom of salmon, ivory reigns
White king salmon — or ivory king — is now found on menus in top restaurants from Seattle to New York City. But the rare, pale-fleshed fish used to be cast aside as undesirable. In years past, says Professor Don Kramer of the University of Alaska, white king was cheaper than red king; today, it's more expensive.
A white-king salmon is, after all, quite an oddity. No one is sure why about only one in 100 wild kings is white. One theory is that they eat a different diet. The bright-red color of wild salmon comes from a diet of shrimp, krill and crabs that contain carotenoids, natural pigments found in plants and animals. Beta-carotene, which makes carrots orange, is probably the most familiar one. Some scientists believe that white salmon eat mostly squid and fish, which have fewer carotenoids. (Farm-raised fish are fed a diet supplemented with carotenoids to produce the familiar reddish-orange flesh.)
However, many scientists point to genetics instead. Since both white and red kings live in the same waters, it's likely they would consume the same thing. "There must be some genetic reason that these fish don't deposit the colored pigment in their flesh," Kramer says. "But I don't know of any studies that have been done to prove it."
Whether due to diet or genes, the fairer the rarer, and people will pay a premium to eat it. At first glance, you might think you're eating halibut, but the texture and taste are similar to regular king salmon. Dale Erickson, owner of University Seafood in Seattle, says because the fish are scarce, they always sell out right away from his store. White salmon goes for about $6.98 to $12.98 a pound, depending on the season and origin of the fish. While fresh is hard to come by, he does regularly carry a smoked version. "Ivory king has its own flavor and texture, with high oil content," Erickson says. "My wife, Jeanette, won't eat any other kind of salmon."
Erickson is in daily contact with suppliers in Alaska and Canada to learn how many white kings are available. The fish look the same from the outside, so only when they are cleaned is it obvious which are white. King salmon can be caught from Alaska down to Oregon and California, with different areas producing different flavored fish. Although both colors of kings are found in rivers, Erickson's favorite is ocean troll-caught from southeast Alaska.
The Oceanaire Seafood Room chef Kevin Davis eats wild king about three or four times a week in the summer. He loves white salmon, which he describes as milder than red with a distinct flavor all its own. "If it doesn't all get sold to New York, you can get it. If it can be had, I'm going to have it," he says. "I treat the fish with very high respect."
At The Oceanaire, Davis offers a thick, 10-ounce filet of ivory king simply grilled or broiled with olive oil and gray salt for $25.95. Occasionally he also serves the fish grilled with port-soaked cherries, rosemary, smoked almonds and orange zest. "People find ivory king appealing on the menu," he says. "It's a nice alternative to red king."
If you buy the fish yourself, Davis cautions, make sure it is high-quality and fresh. "Don't buy it just for the color," he says. "Make sure you get good fish. It's expensive, but it's worth it."
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 10:00 am
