Although not as prized as king salmon, cohos can nevertheless be an excellent eating fish — especially for the price. Cohos can be caught in the wild or farmed, which means size, appearance and flavor may vary depending on the source.

Over 100,000 tons of cohos are caught each year, about 70% of which is farmed (mostly in Chile). Almost all the farmed cohos are sold in Japan. North American salmon fishermen catch about 25,000 tons of cohos each year, primarily off the coast of Alaska from July to September.

As is the case with all wild salmon, the oil content of a fish can differ significantly depending upon how far the fish must swim upstream before spawning. As a general rule, the higher the oil content, the more flavorful the fish.

A small percentage of wild cohos sold may have already started to mature, giving their skin a slight red blush. Don’t confuse them with sockeyes, the real red salmon.

Source
Alaska, Washington state, Canada.

Availability
Wild coho salmon are available from July though October. Farmed fish are available from December to March.

Cooking Tips

• Although their oil content is lower than sockeye or king salmon, they are still excellent grilled, baked or broiled.
• Requires little preparation.
• • Complex sauces are not necessary — a little lemon juice or simple marinade is a perfect complement.