I posted this a day or two ago on another thread, but it is quite appropriate for this one. This is for one of those mentioned by AKM to shop at, and the Briggs are the ones who made a wonderful home for Ann and her daughters after the loss of her husband Segundo Strongheart. Enjoy!
http://anonymousbloggers.wordpress.com/2009/08/08/creating-jobs-in-rural-alaska-feeding-the-crew/

I stayed in the only public accommodation, the Rough Woods Inn, which consisted of 2 “apartments.” “Adequate housing,” as one of my colleagues in Colorado who had stayed there previously had described it. But I didn’t want to drive a rental car 2 hours each day from Fairbanks for a week to get to my destination, and I was up for local color, so the Rough Woods was my home for a week. It was a wonderful trip. I spent 2 days at Denali, the mosquitoes were in check, the flowers were beautiful, the people were colorful.

It was early July. One of my teacher hosts from the schools asked if I liked salmon, and brought me 2 huge filets, King and Sockeye, that he had caught and which apparently filled his family’s freezer. Copper River trip was part of his yearly fishing venture, as well as local fishing.

My apartment had a tiny stove, and I cooked salmon with potatoes, salmon with veggies, salmon with eggs, salmon sandwiches. If I’d stayed for a month, I believe I could have been the Julia Child of salmon. I love salmon, and had never had any as fresh as this. I was in heaven, and my boss shoulda been fiscally grateful that I didn’t eat out the whole week, but alas, he was a Republican.

I ate “squaw candy” — salmon dried outside on racks I saw scattered around town. I was told it was not PC any more to call it squaw candy, but man, oh, man, it was soft and sweet and yummy. I visited the one general store in Nenana and the smell of smoked moosehide trinkets permeated the display counters. The locals loved to talk about each other, mostly in unflattering terms. One store, 2 bars: native and non-native. One paved street. I could go on. It was quite the experience.

But the salmon — there were contraptions that looked like wooden water wheels on the river in which salmon were scooped. There were barge stations. Sled runs on the river in winter. The salmon was red! Sweet and red. Rich, like butter (scarce in Alaska; cows don’t do well in the winter.)

I’m thinking now of the Paul Simon song “Kodachrome.” “Mama don’t take my kodachrome away.” Since my visit, I’ve been very picky about my salmon, and lox. Only buy wild-caught, only buy if it is red, check the label for “farmed” or “coloring.” Expensive, but I can’t go back now. Save the salmon. Save all the wild fish. I’m willing to eat less and pay more for the real deal. Mama, don’t take my Alaska salmon away!

2. Surprised to see frozen ‘Pacific NW’ salmon for sale here in Berlin with so much in Norway nearer at hand

Additionally, the readers of your blog are intelligent thoughtful people who share information. This is what I believe the original developers of the world wide web intended: intelligent discourse through which we can lift each other up and improve our societies for everyone’s benefit. Thank you, one and all, for being a constant high-quality source of information and entertaining perspective when the topic needs it.

This posting will change the way my family buys and consumes fish. Thank you.

Nothing wrong with the fish, except that there are so few in the wild it is not fished commercially. Therefore, Atlantic Salmon = Farmed Salmon

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/fishwatch/species/atl_salmon.htm

Monterrey Bay list is good, more can be found at:

http://www.healthebay.org/stayhealthy/seafoodguide/default.asp

There is also additional information and resources to learn more.

For those of you in the mid sections beware of your lake and river fish sources. Do you know what your pike has been swimming in?

All fish on a market case is presumed to be fresh. But not necessarily ‘freshly-caught’. And freshly-caught fish isn’t all that. Properly done, frozen wild salmon fish is superior to “fresh” farm-raised. Think of this: Alaskans eat fish out of the freezer, home-packed by themselves.

Alaska salmon isn’t a year-around commodity. There are seasons for the different regions. Salmon can go from freezer to oven in tinfoil or a baking dish and cooks up nicely and quickly.

Nothing wrong with flash-frozen fillets. Fresh has been over-marketed. With a quality fish and good processing, you wouldn’t know the difference between a frozen fillet and a fresh one.

Labeling is not just what a producer wants to say – it’s regulated by law. Only Alaska product, which equals “WILD”, can be labeled as Alaska product. If it says “wild” on the label, it has to be Alaskan.

There are no other naturally-occuring commercially-harvested salmon runs left in the world. Norwegian, New Zealand, Atlantic, Chilean – these are all farmed fish or farmed stock that has replaced the wild species.

By the way ~ the bumper sticker originally said: “Just Say No To Drugs – Don’t Eat Farmed Salmon”

Farmed salmon lack color, so dye is added to the feed.