Smoked salmon, the Gault&Millau test bench

Which smoked salmon should I buy? First and foremost, you needto choose the right weight (40 g is the right size for a slice), then compare the price per kilo, which naturally depends on the quality of the preparation, the farming and the fishing grounds .

Salmon most often comes from the cold northern seas, from Scotland or Ireland, Norway, Greenland, Iceland or Alaska. The color of the slices is not determined by the fishing area, but by the fish feed and any colorants used. Just as a reddish color does not necessarily indicate a mediocre product, pale orange is not an absolute guarantee of quality .

Wild or farmed salmon?

The debate between wild and farmed salmon continues. A wild salmon will have gorged itself on everything that is bad and circulates in the North and Baltic Seas, especially metals and other impurities that have no business in fish stomachs. Farmed salmon may have grown up virtuously, but they may also have been fed various antibiotics and ingredients used for the sole purpose of making them fatter and more profitable. Labels such as organic or Label Rouge are a step forward, but not quite a guarantee. As with other luxury products, your own taste should come first .

For the same thickness, a good slice of salmon should be neither too dry nor too fatty, but should remain soft and melt-in-the-mouth, with a velvety texture that doesn't go as far as butter or oil. In France, there are many specialists who smoke their own salmon, adding their own touch and character .

As with oysters, quality smoked salmon needs no side dishes. It's best enjoyed on its own, without lemon juice or dill sprigs to spoil it. Foradded sweetness, serve a lightly lemony cream on the side .

We won't surprise anyone by recommending a white wine, even if some people, as with caviar, insist on vodka or aquavit, which warm up cold countries. Our vineyards have enough resources to provide what is needed. As the focus is on the smoky aroma, it's best to avoid accentuating it by choosing a wine that's rather dry and sharplike a well-developed muscadet, a lively chenin such as savennières, or a fine marsanne from saint-joseph or hermitage.

Are you about to buy smoked salmon for the holidays or another special occasion? Discover our selection of smoked salmon below. They are listed in descending order of appreciation.

Guyader Gastronomie (Norway )

Guyader Gastronomie, established in Brittany since 1930, represents three generations of Guyaders (Yves, Jean and Denise) specialized in the culinary trades, and has seven production workshops. Since 2023, Guyader has been committed to a more sustainable economy, in line with a quest for quality linked to territoriality. Salmon preparation complies with specifications controlled by Certipaq.

Tasting notes: theoverall quality of this well-prepared salmon is excellent, with a smoky, iodized nose and a wide range of aromas. The texture is a little dry on the attack, but develops on the palate with more mellowness, notes of dried fruit, delicate smokiness and good balance .

• Price: 6.95 euros (4 slices/140 g)
• Rue de Kerroc'h - 29510 Landrévarzec
• www.guyader.com

Labeyrie (Scotland )

At Labeyrie, salmon travels. From fjords, it grows in Norwegian waters, then is prepared in Saint-Geours-de-Maremne, in south-west France. The fillets, chosen from the noblest part of the fish, are salted throughout and only dry-salted on the surface, for a more homogeneous taste. Master smokers prepare the wood blends and control the duration of operations in traditional smokehouses. Slices are cut evenly from the heart of the fillet.

Tasting notes:the orange hue seems unnatural, but the flesh is brilliant, with a strong, persistent smokiness that encompasses the other nuances and blurs them. Pleasant texture, good thickness of slicing, giving softness and balance between fat and flesh. The flavor is consensual, drawing a little on salt and smokiness, lacking a little finesse .

• Price: Bio Grandes Origines: 17.99 euros (6 slices/205 g)
• 39, route de Bayonne - 40230 Saint-Geours-de-Maremne
• www.labeyrie.com

Kaspia (Norway )

The company, renowned for its caviar, also offers a range of salmon raised in Norwegian fjords for three to five years, until they reach full maturity. Carefully prepared, they are traditionally smoked over beechwood. In the grocery section, tarama with caviar, sardines in olive oil or matjes fillets offer a taste of Kaspia production at low prices.

Tasting notes: the appearance is a little dull, but the product is correct: fairly powerful smokiness, flawless woodiness, balanced texture between dry and fat. The palate is tender, not aggressive, with well-controlled smokiness, leaving room for the fish. A well-made salmon with a certain delicacy.

• Price: 118.75 euros per kg (2 slices/160 g)
• 11bis, avenue Victor-Hugo - 75116 Paris
• www.caviarkaspia.com

Delpeyrat (Norway )

Founded in 1890 by Pierre Delpeyrat, who gave his name to the brand, Delpeyrat is a federation of breeders and farmers in the South-West of France. Since 1998, it has been owned by the Maïsadour group. Focused on the preparation of foies gras, duck breast, confits and ready-cooked dishes, it introduced superior smoked salmon to the range ten years ago.

Tasting notes:a clean, shiny dry appearance, with a fairly delicate but powerful aroma, in the medium range. The flesh lacks a little softness and fat, the flavor is basic, a little pale, average for overall quality, but the dry, neutral impression predominates.

• Price: 20.55 euros (8 slices/360 g)
• ZA la Téoulère - 40280 Saint-Pierre-du-Mont
• www.delpeyrat.com

Mowi (Scotland )

Mowi is owned by a Norwegian group. A salmon breeder since 1964, Mowi prepares the feed for its salmon, guaranteed GMO-free. The fish come from ponds nestled in Norwegian fjords, Scottish lochs and Irish rivers, where they grow for between eighteen and twenty-four months. Every stage of production is controlled, with no intermediaries, from the egg to the plate for smoked or prepared salmon (lemon thyme, Thai spices or Sichuan-orange pepper, sweet spices...).

Tasting notes:a brilliant appearance with a slight ooze, a beautiful orange hue, a straightforward, standard nose, with a fairly powerful smokiness. The taste is more disappointing, rather banal, with a slightly cardboardy texture. An impression of a basic, small-scale product, leaving little pleasure .

• Price 9.99 euros (8 slices/200g)
• www.mowi-saumon.fr

Salma (Norway )

Since 2006, Salma has specialized in the slaughter of salmon using the Japanese ikejime method (presented as less stressful, for optimal flavor). The preparation workshop is located on the island of Bömlo, on the west coast of Norway, whereSalma packs cobblestones, to be cut "Scandinavian-style", "in petals" or "delicatessen cubes " ...

Tasting notes:glossy appearance, fine veining, delicate aroma, pleasant smoky fat, present but not insistent. On the palate, softness from the core preparation, a consensual flavor, but also lacking in character and intensity, requiring accompaniment.

• Price: 12 euros (150 g)
• www.salma.fr

Petrossian (Scotland )

At Petrossian, whole wild salmon are selected, cut and filleted by hand. Salted, then dried, they are smoked using the same method since 1930, using a secret blend of woods. A 24-hour maturation period optimizes all the flavors obtained. The range includes farmed salmon, salmon roe, Caucasian-smoked trout and black truffle-smoked trout.

Tasting notes:the salmon is cut very thinly, the thickness of a leaf, making the texture a little dry. Yet the nose is quite interesting, varied, with animal nuances. The flavor is duller, just salty, lacking substance and character.

• Price: Hand-sliced smoked salmon: from 26 euros (3 slices/120 g)
• 18, boulevard de Latour-Maubourg - 75007 Paris
• www.petrossian.fr