The salmon family includes many different species of fish. But the most valuable are chum salmon and pink salmon. They are very similar to each other. However, their lifestyle is different from each other. Because of this, different chemical compositions of both fillets and caviar are observed. In order not to confuse these two types with each other, you should know their characteristics. This article will answer the question: chum salmon or pink salmon caviar - which is better? In addition, comparisons between a number of fish species will be presented. After reading this article, you can learn how to choose the right product and how you usually eat it.
What is the difference between chum salmon and pink salmon?
Today, one of the most common types of salmon is a fish that is characterized by a light blue color. In this case we are talking about pink salmon. During the spawning period, its color changes. It acquires gray and greenish shades.
She is much smaller in size. But despite this, it grows faster than chum salmon. Which caviar is better: chum salmon or pink salmon? This question will be answered a little later. But in order to purchase exactly the type of fish you came for at the market or supermarket, you need to know their distinctive features.
So, the diet of pink salmon is higher in calories. Therefore, its fillet has greater density.
The amount of chum salmon is much less. But it is larger in size than pink salmon. Its color is silvery, it is characteristic of fish during the spawning period. And after that it changes to a darker one, and on the sides of the chum salmon you can see stripes of crimson color. The fillet of this species is distinguished by its tenderness and elasticity. It is not as high in calories as pink salmon. Therefore, it is very suitable for the fair sex who watch their figure.
Chum salmon can be distinguished from pink salmon not only by size and color, but also by scales. In the first species it is larger.
Chum salmon or pink salmon caviar: which is better? The answer to this question can be found in the next section. It is only worth noting that the eggs of chum salmon are large and the color is much brighter than that of a related species. This, of course, is not a sign of the quality and excellent taste of the product. But for buyers it is a good characteristic to distinguish these two products from each other.
What is the difference between chum salmon and pink salmon caviar
Chum salmon and pink salmon can be distinguished by their characteristic external features:
- Pink salmon can be easily distinguished from other representatives of salmon species by the specific hump on their back, which is formed during the spawning period. Under normal conditions, this fish has a light blue color. In addition, small black spots can be found on the back of pink salmon;
- Chum salmon can be distinguished by the characteristic pink stripes located on both sides of its body and shifted closer to the lower part of its body. In water, chum salmon has a silvery color.
In addition to these external features, fish differ in their behavior during the spawning period:
- Chum salmon, as a rule, spawn in the places where it itself was born;
- Pink salmon, unlike chum salmon, can spawn not only in their native backwaters. In addition, pink salmon prefer areas of water bodies with faster currents.
Characteristics of caviar
The caviar of these fish species differs not only in color, but also in size:
- Chum salmon caviar is one of the best similar products. The eggs are located in a hard shell that has a regular shape. At the same time, caviar has a unique taste, as well as an orange color with an amber sheen;
- pink salmon has caviar, with a diameter of 3 to 5 mm and a bright orange or light orange hue. As a rule, the caviar is light orange in color. This caviar is considered the most common, therefore it is not an expensive product.
Calorie content
100 grams of caviar contain 245 kilocalories. This is a fairly high-calorie product, but, at the same time, quite healthy, which allows you to use it to lose excess weight. Small amounts of red caviar contain a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals that have a beneficial effect on the human body. In this regard, it is possible to eat less food, but the benefits will be greater.
Benefits and harms
First of all, you should dwell on the beneficial properties of red caviar and what vitamins and microelements are found in this product. For example:
- red caviar contains up to 32% protein, which is easily digestible;
- it contains up to 13% fats, which in their composition belong to fish oils;
- it has a certain amount of polyunsaturated acids;
- red caviar contains a sufficient amount of iodine, which has a positive effect on the functioning of the entire human body;
- this product contains vitamins such as A, B, C, D and PP;
- Equally important is the fact that it contains folic acid and trace elements such as potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus and manganese.
The presence of so many useful components indicates the fact that a person is simply obliged to regularly eat red caviar. But this does not mean that you need to eat it every day and in large quantities. The product should be consumed exactly as much as the body needs.
In order for the product to be truly beneficial to the body, you need to adhere to certain recommendations:
- Use only high quality product.
- Over the course of one week, it is enough to eat no more than one or two sandwiches to replenish the lack of nutrients.
It is very important to decide on such a factor as the need to eat caviar. This can be facilitated by:
- insufficiently strong immunity;
- for problems with the cardiovascular system and the presence of atherosclerosis;
- poor vision, low hemoglobin levels, varicose veins and other health problems.
Naturally, this list did not include many disorders of the human body. At the same time, this product can be used not only by people suffering from this or that ailment, but also by people who want to improve their health or for preventive purposes. At the same time, you should always remember that overeating it will not lead to anything good.
And yet, despite its benefits, if used incorrectly, it can cause harm to human health. In this case, you need to pay attention to some factors:
- You should not consume caviar in large quantities, as this will not increase the positive effect;
- the presence of a high concentration of salt limits its use for people suffering from diseases of the kidneys and urinary system. In addition, salt can accumulate in the body;
- It is not recommended to eat red caviar for people who cannot tolerate this product due to allergic reactions;
- People who are overweight or have gastrointestinal problems should be careful with this product.
How much does red caviar cost?
In this case, you need to pay attention to the following indicators for Russia:
- Pink salmon caviar, weighing 250 grams, will cost 690 rubles;
- chum salmon caviar, the same weight, is estimated at 800 rubles;
- pink salmon caviar in a 0.5 kg glass jar sells for 1,600 rubles;
- Chum salmon caviar in a specialized glass container weighing 500 grams will cost 2,430 rubles.
Chum salmon or pink salmon caviar: which is better?
This product is considered a delicacy that is valued all over the world. It contains many useful microelements and vitamins. Which caviar is better: chum salmon or pink salmon? In terms of their nutritional value and beneficial composition, they are the same.
But still, chum salmon or pink salmon caviar: which is better? The photo below reflects the appearance of the first.
As mentioned above, chum salmon caviar is much larger and brighter in color.
But the most prized product is pink salmon. It has smaller grains. And the taste is rich and tender. Thus, the answer to the question: “Chum salmon and pink salmon caviar: which is better and tastier?” - was received.
It is worth noting that in another species the product contains more fat. This characteristic is also reflected in the taste. Also, the eggs are denser and tougher. Thanks to this, this product is stored much longer.
What kind of red caviar is there?
Currently, there are a huge number of types of this product on store shelves. So, having figured out which red caviar is better - chum salmon or pink salmon, let's move on to considering the other species. The rarer the variety of a product, the more expensive it is considered. There are about six types of caviar. The first two have already been discussed in previous sections of the article. Let's look at the rest.
Chinook salmon has one of the expensive varieties of red caviar. This fish is listed in the Red Book. Her eggs are very large. Their size is about 8 mm. They are distinguished by a slight bitterness. This product cannot be found on the shelves of any supermarket. As a rule, it can be purchased in Primorye.
Sockeye salmon is also a species of the salmon family. The taste of this fish caviar is very spicy. It has a pungent and bitter taste. Due to the small volume of transportation, this product is quite difficult to purchase in ordinary stores.
Coho salmon caviar is inexpensive in terms of price. The eggs are small and have a bitter taste.
Trout caviar also differs from all others in its small grains. It has a pleasant bitter taste. You can often find it on sale. The price of this product is considered quite affordable.
Red and black
It's no secret that caviar is a fish egg, from which, after fertilization with the male's milk, a fry is born. Consequently, this grain contains many nutrients and beneficial minerals necessary for the development of a new organism. Moreover, all fish lay eggs (with the exception of viviparous fish): perch, pike and even roach. All types of this product are beneficial. But only some are tasty. Only sturgeon and salmon caviar is recognized as a delicacy. And here, in passing, it is necessary to debunk myth No. 1. They say that black caviar is better. After all, the cost is significantly higher than the red one. In fact, pricing depends on the rarity of sturgeon fish - stellate sturgeon, beluga, sterlet. Much more common are salmon, from which red caviar is obtained: sockeye salmon, chum salmon, pink salmon, trout, chinook salmon, coho salmon, and masu salmon. But some species of this family are also included in the Red Book. Therefore, chinook and salmon caviar are very difficult to find on sale, and they cost as much as black caviar.
What are the benefits of red caviar?
It contains unsaturated fatty acids. They help increase immunity and hemoglobin. They also improve the human body’s resistance to various types of infections.
Its caviar restores the normal oiliness of the skin. And this suggests that it improves her condition, which, of course, is necessary for the fair sex.
This product also contains vitamin D. It prevents bone fragility. In addition, this component promotes better absorption of calcium. Thus, it prevents the development of rickets.
Red caviar also contains vitamin A. It is known to be necessary for people who have poor eyesight.
The content of fatty acids in the product helps to easily cope with stressful situations.
How to choose a delicacy
How not to get lost among the numerous offers of red caviar producers? First of all, let's carefully study the text of the label. The blend is good in wine, but not in caviar. The jar should indicate which fish it was extracted from. We will answer the question of which is better, pink salmon or sockeye salmon caviar, later. Now let’s just indicate the criteria for a quality product. Glass jars are preferable to metal jars. After all, this is how we can consider the content. The eggs should be of equal size, not stuck together, mostly whole, and of uniform color. A bright ruby color may be evidence of counterfeit (exception: sockeye salmon and chinook salmon caviar). The usual color is orange fading to pale red. The production date of the product is of utmost importance. If the label indicates the autumn or winter months, the caviar is obtained from frozen fish.
Harm from red caviar
Do not consume this product in too large quantities. Then the benefit described above will be reversed.
Red caviar has a high salt content. For this reason, people with kidney and genitourinary diseases should not use it.
Some people have an individual intolerance to this product. In other words, we are talking about an allergic reaction here. These people should beware of red caviar. And if, nevertheless, they ate it by mistake, it is necessary to urgently take an antihistamine or consult a specialist.
It should not be consumed by those who are overweight. This category also includes people with gastrointestinal diseases.
Large or small caviar: which one to choose?
It all depends on the preference of the person himself. It is usually believed that the tastiest product is the one with larger diameter grains. Chum salmon or pink salmon caviar: which tastes better? Do you remember how this question was answered in one of the sections? Pink salmon caviar has better taste, but, unfortunately, the eggs burst. But in chum salmon, the grains reach a diameter of about 4.5 mm. They keep their shape. And the smallest caviar is trout caviar. But it has a bright bitter taste.
Therefore, when choosing between small and large caviar, buyers most often give preference to the second type of product. It should be noted that each person has his own requirements for a particular product.
“Grainy” or “pressed”?
In these terms lies the difference in processing methods. In the body of a female fish, the eggs are enclosed in a pouch called the ovary. When it is cut, the grains are ground through a grate and then placed in brine, where they lie for about ten days. Then the necessary preservatives are added to them and sealed in vacuum jars. This produces grainy caviar. But once you open such a jar, you need to eat the contents within one or two days. Granular eggs are drier and subject to weathering. The pressing method of processing is when the entire joint is lowered into brine. It is cut before pasteurization. Thus, no matter what kind of caviar you have in your hands - chum salmon or sockeye salmon - if it is pressed, it retains more useful liquid. The “amniotic fluid” has passed into the grains, and they have a longer shelf life. This also affects the gastronomic parameters of the product - pressed is less salty.
Chum salmon, sockeye salmon, pink salmon caviar: which is better?
The cost of each product is different. Thus, sockeye salmon caviar has the highest price compared to others. But this is only due to the fact that it is transported to Russia in very small quantities. But among these three species, pink salmon is the best in terms of taste. She has no bitterness. Chum salmon sometimes has this taste.
Sockeye salmon caviar has other qualities. So, it has a spicy, bitter and islandy taste. The nutritional value and composition of these three species are almost the same. Sockeye salmon caviar is smaller. For this reason, it contains slightly more nutrients. This is explained by the fact that fish, due to the small size of the grains, saturates each of them with a large amount of microelements and vitamins.
Canned food and preservatives
To prevent salmon caviar from spoiling and have a long shelf life, manufacturers add preservatives (sorbic acid and sodium benzoate) and salt to it. The amount of preservatives is strictly regulated by technical regulations and GOST standards for caviar. However, the presence of preservatives must be included in the labeling. We did not find any excesses in the amount of preservatives. However, the composition of Kurilskaya
Sodium benzoate, which is actually present in caviar, was not listed. This violates the consumer’s rights to reliable labeling, which is why we have significantly reduced the caviar’s score in the overall rating.
Along with chemical preservatives, all manufacturers use a natural and economical analogue - salt. In accordance with GOST 31794, the optimal level of salt content in caviar is from 3 to 5% for grades 1 and 2; according to GOST 18173 – 4–6% for the 1st grade and 4–7% for the 2nd grade. The Roskachestvo standard has established a universal, more stringent requirement for salt content in the amount of 3.5–5% of the total mass, regardless of the variety. Firstly, less salt means more health benefits (there are WHO recommendations for daily salt intake). Secondly, a lot of salt means a very salty product; too little salt means a risk of reducing the preservative effect, which means an increase in microbiology. By the way, in a number of cases, tests confirmed the last hypothesis.
The requirements of the current GOST for the amount of salt (there was less) were violated by manufacturers of products of nine brands: “Kamchatka Sea”
,
“Merchant”
,
“Makarov”
,
“Sea Tsar”
,
“Seine”
,
“Obkomovskaya”
,
“Putina”
,
“Sakhalin Fish”
and
“Forward-S”
. In four cases, this affected microbiological indicators: violations were observed in the caviar “Kamchatsky Sea”, “Makarov”, “Obkomovskaya” and “Forward-S”. Products from 15 brands met the requirements of the Roskachestvo standard. Details are in the product cards.
Some information about coho salmon caviar
In this section of the article you will also find information on the comparative nature of fish products. So, which caviar is better: chum salmon, pink salmon or coho salmon?
The taste and price range of these product categories are different. For residents of Russia, pink salmon or chum salmon caviar is considered more familiar.
But the most useful among these three species is the coho salmon fish product. Its grains are small, about 2.5 mm. They contain a greater amount of vitamins and minerals. In terms of taste, it is distinguished by its piquancy and bitterness. That is, according to this characteristic, pink salmon or chum salmon caviar is better.
Size matters?
If we are talking about black caviar, the larger the grains, the better the quality of the product. In red it's the other way around. Small grains are valued more by gourmets. And now the time has come to answer the question that worries many: “Which is better - pink salmon or sockeye salmon caviar?” The largest grains of Chinook salmon are as much as eight millimeters in diameter. Ketovaya is slightly smaller – seven, for which it is popularly nicknamed “royal”. The eggs of pink salmon and coho salmon are approximately the same size - four millimeters. And sockeye salmon caviar is very small - only 3 mm in diameter. In our country, these grains of dark red, even ruby color, are valued less. The fact is that sockeye salmon caviar, the photo of which looks very appetizing, has a pronounced bitter taste. But abroad, this quality is considered not a minus, but a piquant feature. But the neutral taste of dark orange grains obtained from pink salmon is considered too ordinary there.
How to choose the right product in a tin can?
Before purchasing red caviar, you should know a few rules. They will help you purchase a quality product.
So, when buying a bank it should not be swollen. This indicates that the product is damaged. On the lid of the product you should see data such as salting date and manufacturer number.
You should also check the period between salting and canning. It should not be more than 30 days.
As mentioned above, caviar contains salt. Its content should be from 3 to 5 percent. In addition, the product may contain antiseptics, methenamine and vegetable oil. There should be no other additives.
The jar should contain information about what type of fish the caviar is from.
Pink salmon caviar
Most often, this caviar of fish of the Salmonidae family is found on store shelves, the price of which is slightly lower than for previous varieties.
The fish move to spawn from June to August. The trajectory of its movement is from the North Pacific Ocean to the adjacent rivers. The experience of fishermen shows that fish numbers fluctuate between even and odd years. The lifespan of the humpback is up to 2 years. It spawns once in its life, after which it dies.
The size of pink salmon eggs varies from 3 to 5 mm. Most often they are bright orange in color. After tasting them, one can note the absence of bitterness, but the presence of slight saltiness.
The average cost of pink caviar is 3,200 rubles per 1 kg.
Expensive types of red caviar are a real delicacy with a pleasant aftertaste. A quality product must have a number of characteristics. In particular, the eggs in the jar should be the same size and color, whole, uncrumpled, crumbly, without mucus, films or plaque.
How to buy a loose product correctly?
Which red caviar to choose? Chum salmon or pink salmon? What's better? The choice is yours. But it’s worth doing it correctly so that you don’t end up in the hands of your treating doctors.
When purchasing loose caviar, please note that the grains should be round and almost all the same size. Also, color and taste qualities must correspond to the type of product that is declared. By the way, each characteristic of the salmon family was given above.
If you smell a strong fishy smell, and also, after trying it, feel the unpleasant taste of rancid fat, then do not buy such caviar. It should have a slight smell of freshness. Also pay attention to its surface. It should be dry.
Choosing the right red caviar
One of the most important factors influencing the quality of red caviar is the salting of this product. Red caviar is salted immediately after the end of the spawning period. The eggs should be elastic and intact, with a natural hue for this type of caviar. Almost all eggs should have the same size and optimal shape. The aroma of caviar should correspond to a fresh fish product.
Caviar in a tin: choice
Since the product is in a tin, non-transparent container, it is very difficult to determine the quality of the product, although you need to pay attention to the following:
- the container should not show signs of swelling or deformation;
- terms of suitability must be clearly marked on the can;
- no more than one month should pass between the cooking process and preservation;
- The salt concentration should correspond to 4-6%. The composition may include: vegetable oil, additives E400 and E239 (urotropine), 0.1% antiseptics. The presence of other additives is undesirable;
- The tin can must contain information about the caviar of what kind of fish is in the can.
How to choose loose caviar
The task is greatly simplified, since the quality of the product can be checked visually:
- all eggs must be of the same shape, elastic, whole and of the same size;
- compliance of taste and color with the declared type of caviar;
- the presence of an aroma of freshness and consistency with the type of fish;
- there should not be a lot of moisture on the surface of the caviar;
- caviar should not have the taste of an old, stale product.
Caviar in a glass jar: how to choose?
Since the product is in a transparent container, all previous selection criteria that apply to the selection of loose caviar can be used in this case. Particular attention is paid to the size of the eggs, their integrity, and color. It must match the characteristic shade of the caviar of the fish indicated on the package. In addition, there should be no liquid in the jar at all or very little of it.
How should you eat caviar?
As a rule, this product is consumed with sandwiches. But there are several other ways. Some people eat it separately. This process occurs with the help of a small dessert spoon.
There are also a number of opinions from nutritionists. They say this product goes great with a slice of cucumber. It’s also very good served with half an egg white.
How much caviar can you eat in total? About three teaspoons is considered the norm. This is how much you can consume this product per day. And then the benefits from it for your body are guaranteed.
