The evening was billed by John Volpe, vocal anti-salmon farm critic, as an opportunity to compare the taste of wild versus farmed salmon and to expose taste-testers to the “raging debate about salmon in British Columbia”.
People from different sectors of the salmon farming industry traveled from all over the coast to Victoria to take part in the three course tasting and joined fifty participants in lively, informative and respectful conversations throughout the evening. In fact, having the salmon farmers attend really added something to the evening according to one participant.
The importance of salmon within First Nation culture was described and there was a focus on the visual difference between the species on the menu: White Chinook, Chinook, Sockeye and Atlantic. The participants who came from all over the US and Canada enjoyed the taste of both the Atlantic farmed salmon as well as the Pacific wild salmon.
During the tasting of the barbequed Chinook salmon, Mr. Volpe described the taste of the belly meat of the salmon and how prized it is in First Nation culture. However, Mr. Volpe admitted that he isn’t a salmon connoisseur, in fact he doesn’t really enjoy the taste of salmon. Nevertheless, it was very clear that while the debate in BC can be lively, there seems to be an overall recognition that salmon is a tasty, nutritious and delicious food. And that’s something we can all agree on! Bon appetit!
Salmon Farming Industry Takes Part in Cultivating Appetites for Knowledge Conference
CANADA - Attendees of Cultivating Appetites for Knowledge, an international food-scholar conference held in Victoria, British Columbia last weekend got a pleasant surprise when fifteen BC salmon farmers showed up to participate in the wild and farmed salmon taste testing.