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Salmon, Choosing

Choose salmon with a small head and tail and thick shoulders. If fresh the body will be firm and stiff, the eyes bright and prominent, the scales bright and silvery, and the smell pleasant (see SALMON, FRESHNESS OF). The colour of the salmon changes greatly during the course of its life. In the adult fish, the back and upper part of the head are dark blackish-blue, the abdomen is glittering white, and the sides are of an intermediate tint. On the body, and especially above the lateral line, a few dark spots are scattered. During the breeding season the male salmon assumes its most vivid hues, an orange golden tint spreading over the body, and the cheeks being marked with bright orange streaks.