Is Kirkland Salmon Wild-Caught Or Farm-Raised? It Depends

The differences between wild-caught and farm-raised salmon start with the environs from which they are harvested and extend all the way to your dinner plate. The former is obviously extracted from its natural habitat, while the latter is cultivated under particular conditions. Wild-caught salmon also tends to be more flavorful and leaner due to its more diverse diet and room to roam. And Costco devotees might have access to both or either, depending on which Kirkland variety their local store has in stock.

For as consistent as it may seem — big box construction, bulk items, one of the hottest memberships in town — Costco's wares can actually vary by location. Costco sells both farm-raised and wild-caught salmon under its Kirkland label, but availability varies across its vast and varied stores all over the world. Fortunately, in spite of those taste and texture nuances, wild and farmed salmon can be prepared very similarly, with a few caveats.

Wild-caught salmon's leanness will not do you many favors once the heat is on. Its relative absence of fat means that it also has less moisture, ergo it's more vulnerable to drying out, especially if you're more used to working with the typically fattier farmed variety. So, while you can bake either kind in the oven, you'll want to check wild salmon for its ideal temperature a few minutes earlier than the farmed alternative. Once you've mastered the mercury, some simple seasonings will upgrade your salmon in either case. Besides the ubiquitous salt and pepper, don't be shy about trying sweet upgrades like honey or maple syrup, or herbs like dill, rosemary, or paprika.

Wild salmon's flavor is also usually more concentrated than farmed, so, while both can work as a main, farmed might need more of those herbs and spices to shine. Little more than salt and pepper will probably do when you've reeled in wild, but farmed salmon will be more noticeably improved by rubs and marinades. You might also want to consider using it as an ingredient in a more broad recipe, rather than as an entree — think salmon tacos or fresh salmon rillettes. So, with these options in mind, your next trip to the Costco fish section should yield delicious results, no matter which variety of Kirkland salmon is on offer that day.