Grilled salmon is a popular bento item, whether it is pan-seared, miso-ginger glazed, or marinated with teriyaki sauce. For this, there are a handful of different types of salmon sold in the supermarket.
When you go to a supermarket you may see 「生鮭」「塩鮭」「甘塩鮭」in the salmon section, and you may think, which one do I get? Here are the differences.
生 (なま nama) = raw
塩 (しお shio) = salt
Therefore,
生鮭 (なまざけ namazake) = raw salmon (unsalted)
塩鮭 (しおざけ shiozake) = salted salmon
As far as 塩鮭 goes, there are degrees of saltiness from light to salty:
甘口 (あまくち amakuchi) light
中辛 (ちゅうから chūkara) medium
辛口 (からくち karakuchi) most salty
The common misconception with 甘口 (あまくち) is that it might be sweet, but it’s lightly salted.
Another type is 甘塩鮭 (あまじおざけ amajiozake), which is salmon soaked in saltwater for preservation purposes. The saltiness is similar to 甘口塩鮭 (あまくちしおざけ).
Additionally, another term that you may see on the package label is 切り身.
切り身 (きりみ kirimi) = slice or fillet (of fish)
Some people read 鮭 (さけ sake) as シャケ (shake), according to a survey, 60% of Japan, but this varies within regions as well.
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