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Alaska's two best and most
celebrated food specialties

Salmon

Alaska King Crab

Be sure to take advantage of these culinary delights when in Alaska. Order them on ship and ashore whenever the opportunity presents itself.

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How to order
salmon in a restaurant

Increase your enjoyment of salmon by learning how to order it like a connoisseur:

Make sure that the salmon was caught in the wild rather than having been raised on a fish farm. The flesh of the latter tends to have a detectable, undesirable muddy flavor - and some diners object to the chemical additives in its feed.

Verify that the salmon has never been frozen. Freezing breaks down the flesh's cellular structure. This results in a mushy texture when the fish is cooked.

Know the difference among Alaska's five salmon species. I list them in order of culinary desirability so you'll know what to look for on a menu. If the menu does not specify sufficient identifying details, ask your waiter to ask the chef.

King (also named Chinook)
It has the richest flavor, firmest texture, and most inviting red-flesh color of the five species. Its fat content is high. Those qualities plus the Chinook's limited supply make it the most expensive salmon on the market.

Red  (Sockeye)
This is a close runner-up to the king salmon, which it somewhat resembles in flesh flavor, texture, color and fat content. The sockeye is nicknamed “red” because its skin turns that color during spawning.

Silver (Coho)
This salmon species is a step down in quality from the previous two species. Like them, it's flavorful (though milder), well-textured, and high in fat content. The biggest difference is it has an unappealing orange-red flesh color.

Pink (Humpy)
Pink refers to its pale red flesh hue. The taste is too mild for salmon connoisseurs. The fish gained the “humpy” nickname because the male’s back develops a hump when spawning.

Chum (Dog)
The Alaskan chum is on the bottom of the culinary totem pole in terms of taste, texture, color, and cooking properties.

Send the fish back to the kitchen if it's undercooked or overcooked. The flesh should easily flake when you apply light pressure with a fork. Under no circumstances should it be mushy textured.

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How to order
Alaska king crab
in a restaurant

Opt for the Red King Crab - it's by far the finest tasting of Alaska's various species. The runner-up is the Blue King Crab.

You eat just the leg meat. This slightly sweet delicacy can be served cold, but is best when hot.

Sorry, you will probably have to order Alaskan King Crab legs that had previously been frozen-and-thawed. Finding fresh ones is difficult because the Alaska cruise season runs from May to September and the King Crab fishing season stretches from October to January.

Send the crab legs back to the chef if the meat is dryish and somewhat rubbery, which suggests overcooking. The white flesh should be tender and moist, but not watery.

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Best cruise ships by category
Best 4 Alaska cruise ports to visit
Best shore excursions - overview
Helicopter tours - Ranks #1
Floatplane tours - Ranks #2
Best 3 Juneau shore excursions
Best 3 Ketchikan shore excursions
Best 3 Sitka shore excursions
Best 3 Skagway shore excursions
Denali National Park
Goldstar Dome railroad ride
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