This recipe is from a new book, The Super Food Rx Diet by Wendy Bazilian PHD, RD and Dr. Steven Pratt, (Rodale Press, $29.95, 2008). It is a follow-up to their previous book on super foods. It adds a few new concepts and a lot more
recipes. This recipe is written for 1 but can easily be doubled for dining with a friend.
A few years ago, a northern friend became enamored with mangoes during a visit. After about three days of intensive mango munching she turned orange. This benign condition of carotenemia, most often seen in babies, develops after consuming large amounts of beta-carotene-containing foods. It is odd looking, not attractive. A reader's question about the color of salmon prompted me to wonder if fish also had this color-changing trait and whether it would have an influence on nutrition and shopping.
Astaxanthin, a naturally occurring carotenoid, influences the shade of salmon flesh. Wild salmon get astaxanthin from the crustaceans they eat. In addition to the color, it also affects the amount of vitamin A, with the reddest fish, like sockeye and Chinook, having the highest levels. According to Laura McNaughton from Salmon of the Americas, ocean-farmed salmon receive a synthetic astaxanthin in their feed for a colorful result.
A report published in 2000 by Hoffmann-La Roche Limited answers the other part of this question. Focus groups in Seattle and Boston were queried about what influences their salmon purchases. The researchers used a tool called a SalmonFan, similar to a paint wheel, to determine which color of salmon is most appealing. They found consumers find dark red the most desirable. Shoppers believe color is an indicator of flavor/texture, freshness and quality and buy accordingly. Interesting, since color does not indicate any of these characteristics, but only the vitamin A content.
Salmon is a lean protein high in healthly omega 3 fatty acids, a great choice at any color. Serve a paler salmon with a side of carrots or sweet potato and you will get all the vitamin A you need.
