King salmon grows in the inlets of the Marlborough Sounds in the northernmost part of New Zealand's South Island. The pure and isolated waters of the Marlborough Sounds are the perfect habitat to farm Ōra King salmon in a natural and healthy way.

Ora King Salmon's high natural oil content is evident in the distinctive marbled lines of fat within the bright orange flesh, which immediately evoke comparison to Wagyu meat. The king salmon feed contains ingredients that are based on the nutritional needs of wild salmon - ideally tailored for natural growth.

The globally respected consumer guide “Seafood Watch” from Monterey Bay Aquarium, USA has rated Ora King Salmon as “Green”, meaning it is a “Best Choice” for consumers. Ora King Salmon is the first and only sea salmon to receive a Green/Best Choice rating from Seafood Watch .

When it comes to exceptional culinary standards , Ora King Salmon is the first and only choice for discerning chefs around the world. The Ora King salmon has a shiny silver skin. It has a rounder midsection compared to the longer, thinner body of the common Atlantic salmon. In terms of taste, the Ora King Salmon has an elegant balance between sweet and umami flavors.

Chinook salmon have a vibrant orange flesh color that stands out attractively against the marbled lines of fat for an unrivaled appearance on the plate. Chinook salmon have the highest oil content of all salmon species. The high oil content keeps the salmon moist, significantly reducing the risk of overcooking. The texture of King Salmon is buttery and soft due to its unique muscle structure. It cuts well, is light in the mouth and coats the palate nicely. He makes every dish a pleasure.

With over 20 years of experience in sustainable farming practices, the Ora King salmon breeding program has eight generations of king salmon. This has resulted in over 100 different Chinook salmon families, selected so that only the best specimens - with the most attractive taste, texture, color and size - are passed on to subsequent generations.

King salmon eggs destined for the production of Ora King salmon are raised in the crystal clear waters from the “Te Waikoropupu” springs at a hatchery in Takaka, New Zealand. With an average of 14,000 liters of fresh water bubbling to the surface of the springs every second, the waters of this region have been rated as some of the clearest in the world. An ideal start to the life cycle of Ora King salmon.

Within the first year, the baby salmon, called smolt, are transported in specially designed tankers to the inlets of the Marlborough Sounds in the northernmost part of New Zealand's South Island to mimic the life cycle of wild Chinook salmon and mature in the fast-flowing marine waters. Salmon farming in Marlborough takes place on a tiny area of ​​just 0.03% of the total area of ​​the Marlborough Sounds - equivalent to 17 out of 61,034 hectares. The pure and isolated water of the Marlborough Sounds allows Ora King Salmon to be farmed in a natural and healthy way. Only 2% salmon are bred in 98% water per sea enclosure.

The food contains ingredients based on the nutritional needs of wild salmon. It comes from sustainable, certified, non-GMO sources and contains everything salmon needs to thrive and grow. Each feed formulation is formulated to best suit the salmon's particular stage of life. The marine protein in the feed comes from scientifically managed, sustainable fisheries. The feed conversion factor is around 1.7x compared to land protein, which can be up to 9x. When the salmon reaches an average size of 4 kg, it is ready to harvest. Humane harvesting techniques are used here to ensure that the process is as quick, effective and stress-free as possible. After humanely slaughtering, each salmon is carefully and thoroughly washed and sorted. A crucial step to achieve the best possible shelf life for the Ora King salmon.

A master grader dedicated to processing Ora King salmon inspects each salmon against precise specifications for ideal shape and condition. The raw fillet of the Ora King salmon is then immediately shock-frozen using the most modern freezing methods at -90° C and its exceptional quality is preserved. The master grader also selects some of the raw Ora King salmon fillets and smokes them on logs from the Australian Manuka tree to give the fillet a particularly fine smoky aroma. The smoked Ora King salmon fillets are then immediately shock frozen at -90°C. At HONEST CATCH you can buy Ora King salmon online - in two versions: Ora King salmon fillet raw Ora King salmon fillet smoked on Manuka wood