Why yes, let’s do that!
We had ourselves a smorgasbord and rated and ranked each one.
It turns out there are some pretty big differences between the various brands you find at the supermarket.
Photos: The brands. Design: Eat This, Not That!
Things didn’t improve with tasting.
The taste:This salmon was pronounced too slick, a little viscous, and “squishy.”
A robust, succulent flavor from the applewood smoking is promised, but not quite delivered.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
I paid $8.49 for a four-ounce pack at Kroger.
The taste:Liquid smoke, acrid, and chemical were used to describe this salmon.
It cost $11.99 for four ounces at Whole Foods.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
The look:You’re not buying this for its looks.
An unappetizing reddish color, weird sheen, and thick cut combine for a decidedly un-enticing appearance.
The taste:“I hate that.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
It’s awful,” was the immediate response from at least one taster.
A four-ounce pack cost $8.99 at Whole Foods.
The look:Promising.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
It did lean a little veiny, and fell apart as we tried to slice it.
The taste:Ok-ish.
“I don’t hate it” was about the nicest thing anyone could say.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
The consensus was it was too salty.
“It’s not smoked, who are they fooling?”
one taster asked, unless “it was in Grandma’s apartment full of smoke,” he joked.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
It’s dry cured and smoked “very slowly over applewood … at a relatively low temperature.”
This method is supposed to give it a “firm-textured fish with rich salmon flavor.”
I paid $7.99 for the four-ounce pack.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
The look:This reddish-orange guy wasn’t pretty coming out of the package, tearing easily.
My chef friend suggested that it was well-smoked, which makes the fibers break down easily.
The taste:Not bad.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
The texture was buttery and nice, but the flavor was a little off.
Others thought the smoky scent and nice fatty flavor made up for that.
Pretty good, overall.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
An eight-ounce package cost me $11.99 at Publix.
This would definitely be a contender for eating daily.
It cost $11.99 for four ounces at Whole Foods.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
The look:Now this is a good-looking smoked salmon.
It’s exactly the color you think of when you think of smoked salmon.
The taste:“Nice pushback,” declared one taster.
Photo: Dana McMahan, Eat This, Not That!
“It doesn’t just fall apart.”
The flavor was fairly mild, with nice wafts of smoke.
“Really good,” deemed one taster, and we all agreed.
However, there were two varieties that my tasters and I liked even better.
Coming from the same company, these were both so good we couldn’t pick just one.
It’s rope hung before being smoked in a traditional brick kiln.
Let me just tell you: it works.
This was one of three packages that was wiped out before the evening was over.
This was $12.99 at Whole Foods for a four-ounce package.
The look:Pretty.
So, so pretty.
“Not too wet,” said one taster.
It looked like what every smoked salmon wants to look like.
The taste:“Perfect,” said one taster.
“I’d eat that right out of the package,” said another.
Lots of mmmmms went around the table.
Somewhere in there is some magic, because my tasting group couldn’t stop eating this.
It’s $12.99 for four ounces at Whole Foods.
The taste:“I cannot honestly believe how good this is,” one taster said.
“This feels more authentic, like more time was spent,” said another.
We agreed you’re free to taste the process, and it’s just so … salmony.
This will definitely be taking up a permanent position in my fridge.
