It was not all that long ago that white King Salmon were looked upon with a bit of distaste. Ive heard comments like "they're oily, slimy, skunky, etc". They used to cost less than your typical red King, now they cost more. High end restaurants are paying thousands of dollars to fly Whites all across the country, and even the world. Some anglers believe they can tell if they catch a White just by how it acts when caught (A White will dive deep, a Red will run away from the boat). They are not really common or uncommon, approximately 5% (1 in 20) are Whites.
All salmon eat small marine crustaceans (shrimp, krill and crabs) that are rich in astaxanthin, a carotenoid that is found in most sea life. White king salmon do not have the ability to metabolize these pigments from their food sources, leaving their flesh white. The ability of salmon to metabolize and store the red-orange pigment carotene in its muscle cells is determined by their genetic make-up.
Research has shown that when two white kings are mated they produce white king offspring, and red kings when mated, produce red kings. It’s a bit more complicated when a red king and a white king mate. The ability to process carotenoids is a dominant trait and the inability is determined by a recessive trait. Dominant traits are manifested more often, and so white kings are in the minority.
We did catch 2 or 3 on our last trip, so we decided to have a taste test. White and Red King salmon cooked over an open fire. In my opinion, the White is ever so slightly better. A little more oily, buttery, and slightly less "fishy".
RD