Who doesn’t love a good piece of grilled salmon on their plate? Most of us are used to eating sashimi at Japanese restaurants. Still, for true salmon lovers, they know that a beautiful piece of salmon can be enjoyed in more ways than one.
Grilling is one of the best ways to cook salmon while still maintaining the freshness and original flavour of the fish. If done right, it should melt in your mouth just like butter, giving you a slight salty taste and a smooth texture. No matter what you choose to pair your grilled salmon with, you know it will always be a good meal.
History of Salmon
Salmons are commonly found in the North Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean. In fact, the word salmon actually comes from the Latin word Salmo which means “to leap”. Back in the day, salmon was a regular part of the European settlers’ diet as they were always available in the East and West Coast of the United States.
Salmon was always seen as somewhat a luxury food. In fact, back in the days, servants had a specific clause to restrict them only to consume 1 meal of salmon per week to provide for more salmon for their employers. In Hawaii, salmon is popularly added to lomilomi salmon – fresh tomato and salmon salad. However, most Hawaiian residents today call it lomi salmon.
Up until the mid-1800s, the only way to consume salmon is if you live close to the ocean. However, when industrialisation began, New England started canning fresh salmon and shipping it to California for consumption. By 1864, California began export salmon in cans to other parts of the country. However, due to overfishing and modernisation, the East Coast quickly ran out of salmon. Today, most of the salmon available in the US are either imported from Canada or Europe.
Farmed Salmon vs Wild Salmon
Due to high demand, people started farming salmon to make more profit as wild salmon are harder to catch. However, there has been a great debate as to why wild salmon is far safer to consume compared to farmed salmon.
Health researchers believed that farmed salmon are often shot with antibiotics and contain a higher mercury level from the canning. Contrastingly, wild salmon are untouched by humans and are further away from the effects of industrialisation.
Health Benefits of Grilled Salmon
Salmon has high Omega-3 content and healthy fats. It is also a great source of protein hence why a lot of dietician and health enthusiasts often recommend salmon. Omega-3 in salmon can help improve your heart and arterial function.
Besides, salmon is also high in Vitamin B, which is needed for optimal brain and nervous system function. It is also loaded with Selenium which is essential to protect bone health and prevent thyroid diseases. Not only that, but selenium also helps to reduce the risks of cancer.
Where to get the best Grilled Salmon in KL
There are a few places around the city centre that serves grilled salmon but for the best of the best, make your way to Grill Cabin to try their Grill Salmon served with coleslaw and thin-cut fries – a simple yet delicious combo.
For something a little different, head to Havana Bar & Grill in Changkat and try their Creamy Salmon Pasta which is prepared with flaked grilled pasta. The best part is, both of these dish options is also available on the foodpanda app for those of you who want your grilled salmon to be delivered to your house instead.