We are a brewery. We make beer. We like to write about beer....

But we care about other things as well. Food for instance. Because food pairs well with beer.

Salmon is an interesting food subject. In Norway we grow salmon in farms. Or maybe we rear them. It is a fairly controversial matter. People say that these salmon farms pollute our waters.  And that lots of the excess fodder given to these animals could have fed millions of people.  And that farmed salmon has higher values of chemicals usually not found in wild fish (they are supposedly fed artificial colouring to get the right colour of the flesh).
The farmed fish occasionally runs away, and this creates problems for the wild salmon. 
The Norwegian wild salmon population is in worse shape than ever.


When our local fish monger recently explained that the wild salmon season was now in full swing and it was going to be very short this year, it was evident that it was the right time to find out whether the difference in quality and flavour is as clear as lots of people claim.



Two pieces of salmon were purchased.  With very different price tags!
These pieces were split in two. One half of each was poached. The other two halves were fried with only salt and pepper. The jury was very prejudice indeed, and inclined to think that this would be a total revelation. Happy wild fish would surely taste better than a depressed and drugged animal reared in captivity! 

The verdict:
The wild salmon was firm and "meaty".
The farmed salmon was softer and fattier and sweeter in flavour.
All in all, and to our surprise, the conclusion was that these two salmons of different background were very similar.  

And what did we drink with this?  Wit of course!