do you eat salmon skin?

[Joy2012]

I am eating marinated wild caught raw keta salmon fillet and enjoy it. I discard the skin. Upon second thought, I wonder if anyone eats salmon skin (and how do you make it palatable?) and if there is any benefit or caveat with regard to salmon skin.

[Inger]

Sure!  If I get wild caught salmon with skin I eat it. I cut it into pieces with a scissor and swallow. Salmon skin is VERY good for you

[Iguana]

Salmon skin is VERY good for you

How do you know that?

[goodsamaritan]

Wish I had access to wild salmon....

[jessica]

A lot of the fat tends to cling to the inside of the skin, I prefer to scrape that off with my teeth and then leave the outermost skin and scales to dry and age a bit, they get chewier but also break down a little bit, you can also just chew on the skin til it breaks down in your mouth...

[colorles]

alot of the good fats and oils are nearest the skin, i either just "slurp" on it like a walrus slurping clams or rip it apart with combination teeth/ hands and/or knife depending on which manner i feel like going about it (applies to all seafood really) and eat it all. the skin can be pretty tough, so you gotta go at it. but i don't always feel like eating the scales, hence why i just "slurp" on it sometimes

[fireflysea]

I've not found it very appealing or palatable. It looks pretty but it's hard to chew and the scales or something about it makes my lips itchy, it seems. I usually eat the salmon then feed the skin to the pups. They lovve it.

[Joy2012]

Thanks to all who told me salmon skin is edible.

Now I want to report a tasty way of eating salmon skin, which I found out by accident.

I just leave the de-scaled salmon skin in the sauce which I use to marinate salmon flesh. After two days, the skin becomes very soft just like fatty meat. It is very tasty. But I can not eat too much of it, for it is so filling--due to its fat I guess.

BTW, Inger, I want to thank you for giving me the idea of marinating sauce. I invented my own sauce based on your recipe. Finally I have found a way to enjoy raw salmon.

[fireflysea]

Ohhh Joy2012, what is your sauce recipe!? I want to tryyyy

[Joy2012]

Ohhh Joy2012, what is your sauce recipe!? I want to tryyyy

I blend together miso, truly raw honey, raw chilly pepper, raw organic ACV, raw organic garlic and other raw organic herbs (to taste), and Chinese fermented tofu; then I throw in chopped onoin.

I separate salmon flesh and salmon skin. I de-scale the skin.

I guess most ingredients help ferment/soften the fish skin.

Chinese fermented tofu tastes funky to most westerners, so you may want to omit this item.

If you want to try fermented tofu anyway, buy it at big Asian grocers. Also:
(1) Buy a product made in Taiwan. (Do not buy products made in China, as some of China's processed food uses very questionable/poisonous ingredients.)

(2) The product label should specify that it has passed the Taiwanese government's inspection.

(3) The product label should specify that it is made with "ancient fermenting method"; otherwise it is made of "modern quick chemical method." The former is a little bit more expensive; but it is worth it.

So you will need the help of a friend who can read Chinese. Chinese "fermented tofu" literally means "tofu milk." it is soft and is shaped like a small cube and is soaked in sauce, usually in a small glass bottle. Do not confuse it with another item which is literally named "funky tofu."

BTW, I warm up my food in food dehydrator. To me warm food is much more palatable than cold food.

Miso is available in most upscale American supermarkets.

[Joy2012]

Some friends advised me to stay away from fish skin. They say toxins are concentrated in skin. What do people here think? (I mostly eat wild caught salmon.)

Another related question: I read that most toxins are stored in fat. So why do people here advocate a high fat diet?

[Alive]

I eat salmon skin - just cut it into smaller pieces, make into a lump, and swallow. The skin is so hard I don't bother chewing it

Fat is promoted as an excellent source of long lasting energy, makes people feel satiated, plus many fat soluble vitamins. But how much you need will depend on your metabolic rate and how much energy you get from other foods.

Your question could be rephrased "which food energy source has the lowest amount of toxins?" to compare fat against fruits and vegetables. With the animal fat if the animal was raised on grass away from industry then it should be reasonably low in toxins.

[Joy2012]

Thanks, Alive. My reasoning was: Since animals' toxins are mostly stored in fat, fat should be the part to avoid. On the other hand, I eat salmon primarily for its omega-3 fat....So I guess I will continue to eat salmon skin.

[FRANCIS HOWARD BOND]

Will these methods work with other raw fish skins or only with raw Salmon?   Can you use fish skins gone high, or very high?

[TylerDurden]

The Eskimoes seem to have.