Which ones are destined for the platter, and which did we spit into the bin?
Want smoked salmon on the Christmas table but avoiding the Tassie stuff? We’ve got the lowdown. After a rigorous – and not entirely enjoyable – taste test, Good Food can reveal which are the best imported smoked salmons to put on a platter, furl on blinis, or chop up for a quiche or omelette.
For decades, it’s been a no-brainer to reach for Tasmanian smoked salmon at this time of year. Since the 1980s, Atlantic salmon has been raised in fish farms in the cool waters south of Bass Strait, then processed locally into a cured product.
But many consumers have become concerned about damage to sensitive marine and coastal environments, large-scale fish mortalities, and abundant antibiotic use that affects native lobster and fish and, potentially, the humans who consume them.
The test
We visited Coles, Woolworths, ALDI and Ritchies IGA, buying every imported smoked salmon in the fridges. Each of the 13 products was removed from its packaging by a third party, placed on an identical white plate, assigned a number so it could not be identified, and tasted one by one.
Alongside your resident Good Food critic was Nikolas Du Moulin, product development specialist at Sydney Fish Market, a regular judge of smoked salmon at the Sydney Royal Fine Food Awards, and previously a product developer at Tassal, one of the big Tasmanian brands.
We used the Royal Agricultural Show framework, assessing on the basis of appearance, condition, workmanship, aroma, freshness and taste.
Taste is further broken down into flavour, aftertaste, intensity, sweetness, mouthfeel and smokiness.
We aggregated our impressions into a rating out of five stars. No matter the packet size, all products have been calculated by their cost per 100 grams.
The variation between products was striking, with the 13 products differing dramatically. Which ones are destined for the platter, and which did we spit into the bin?
The results, ranked from worst to best
Harris Smokehouse Everyday Wild Caught Smoked Salmon
Price: $7/100 grams
Rating: 0 stars
They call it “everyday” but no day is the right day for this. It looks disgusting, like old liver, and the bloodline is evident, suggesting rushed cleaning. The aroma is three-day-old fish and it’s mushy in the mouth with a chemical taste on the palate. We had to spit this one.
Ocean Blue Double Smoked Norwegian Salmon
Price: $9/100 grams
Rating: ½ star
Small spots in the flesh look unappealing: you wouldn’t want this on a platter. As we peel back slices, there’s an off-putting colour variation. The mouthfeel is rough, almost furry. There’s a strong fishy aroma but no real salmon flavour: it’s just protein in a packet. Again: where’s the bin?
Coles Smoked Salmon
Price: $6.33/100 grams
Rating: 1 star
The presentation is slapdash, with the bloodline visible. There’s hardly any aroma and very little flavour other than a chemical-forward smokiness. It’s tough, bitter and unpleasant.
Regal New Zealand King Salmon Beech Wood Smoked Slices
Price: $12/100 grams
Rating: 1.5 stars
It looks good at first glance but there’s an unappealing spottiness and it leaches oil onto the plate. There’s very little smoke aroma or flavour and the product balls up in the mouth: there’s not much texture beyond an unpleasant furriness.
Harris Smokehouse Pacific Smoked Salmon
Price: $9/100 grams
Rating: 2 stars
Just OK. There’s a piece of skin left on, very little salt or sweetness and a stringy, rough texture. You could get away with this in a quiche or omelette.
Barossa Wild Smoked Salmon (Sockeye)
Price: $12/100 grams
Rating: 2.5 stars
Sockeye is a different breed from the other salmon we tried and has a characteristic bright orange colour, which looks nice. However, this one doesn’t have much texture or structure, falling apart as you pick it up. The fishy flavours are forward with bitter back notes and a clammy quality. There’s no lingering aftertaste beyond acrid; Nik calls it a bit “Palmolivey”. This one would be fine in pasta as a supporting player.
Northern Light Smoked Salmon
Price: $8.50/100 grams
Rating: 2.5 stars
Pale and unappealing, with stringy strands of fish. The aroma isn’t bad but the flavour turns quickly sharp and bitter. There’s no mellowness or evenness: it’s all out of whack, like a kid beginning to play the drums.
Ocean Blue Smoked Norwegian Salmon
Price: $8/100 grams
Rating: 2.5 stars
It looks a bit uneven, comes off in floppy clumps, and has quite a bit of dark meat. The aroma is neutral: there’s not much going on. You could get away with this one if you’re making bagels with cream cheese, capers and dill, but it’s not a hero.
Coles Finest Scandinavian Smoked Salmon Double Smoked
Price: $8.33/100 grams
Rating: 3 stars
The colour is underwhelming but the slices come away nicely, the aroma is quite pleasant, and the flavour is delicate. The smoke and the fish are well integrated and balanced, but the texture is uneven because the edges are dried out, probably because it’s double-smoked. It’s a decent team player.
Clearly Premium Smoked Salmon
Price: $7.20/100 grams
Rating: 3 stars
Pale in colour but consistent, this one is nicely cleaned and trimmed: you can see the workmanship. The smoky flavour is mild, and there’s no length to the flavour. Overall, inoffensive: think boardroom bagel.
Regal New Zealand King Salmon Manuka Wood Smoked
Price: $10/100 grams
Rating: 3.5 stars
There’s a nice gleam to this one. The slices separate nicely and it’s nice and firm in the mouth, with buttery notes. The sweetness and salt are in balance. You could almost put it on a seafood platter for Christmas and you could really make it a hero on a blini.
Woolworths Scottish Maple & Pink Peppercorn Smoked Salmon
Price: $12/100 grams
Rating: 3.5 stars
With its scattered garnish and good colour, this one presents nicely. It’s well trimmed and comes away in clean slices. The smoke is mild and overpowered by the brightness of the peppercorn, but it’s quite good overall and would sit happily next to eggs Benedict, for example.
The Fishmonger Smoked Salmon
Price: $5/100 grams
Rating: 4 stars
Aldi sells the best example of an overall underwhelming bunch. It’s also by far the cheapest. It presents nicely and flakes away well. It has a mildly smoky aroma and is quite creamy in texture, though the structure does ebb away to mushiness. The smoke taste is subtle. Overall, a decent product that would sit happily on a blini or mini toast.
The upscale
If you don’t mind paying more and hunting around, better New Zealand salmon products are available from some specialty retailers.
- In NSW, look to Stephen Hodges ($19.50/100 grams) and Mr Flax ($17.50/100 grams) for small-batch cold-smoked fish of superlative quality.
- In Victoria, Bellarine Smokehouse ($20/100 grams) does a good job.
- Vic’s Meats ships unsliced whole sides of salmon to both states ($22.50/100 grams).
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