Ora King salmon products, first introduced locally by New Zealand’s King Salmon Company, are now available in the United States.
The company is offering the fish whole, as fillets, and also in a cold smoked salmon product to high-end restaurants and retailers in the United States, the company said in a release.
The company has also developed a specialist food service team to work with customers in major metropolitan markets throughout the United States and Canada.
So far, the company said Ora King customers include Craft (Los Angeles); Nobu (New York, Dallas, Waikiki, Hawaii); The French Laundry (Yountville, Calif.); The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong (Honolulu); Roka Akor (Scottsdale, Ariz. and Chicago); Public (New York); Dean & Deluca (New York); Waldorf Astoria (New York); Mitch's Sushi (Honolulu); Bull & Bear Steakhouse (New York); The Lobster Place (New York); Lure Fishbar (New York); Chaya Brasserie (Los Angeles), and Fairway Market, with locations in New York and New Jersey.
"Ora King salmon is a great product to work with and serve. The consistency and top quality means that I know what I'm getting every time I order it," said Robin Lee, executive chef at Nobu restaurant in Waikiki, Hawaii. "Ora King's vibrant colors practically jump off the plate, and the full flavor profile makes it perfect for many of the dishes we serve at Nobu."
The company first released the new salmon breed in October in New Zealand, developed over 20 years of salmon aquaculture off the coast of Marlborough, where the company is based.
The company, in a release, said it raises Ora King salmon using sustainable feed, with no antibiotics, vaccines or pesticides.
"The pure and isolated waters of the Marlborough Sounds enable us to raise Ora King salmon in a natural and wholesome manner, with our seafarms comprising 97.5 percent water space to just 2.5 percent salmon," said Mark Preece, general manager of aquaculture for Ora King. "We are also proudly committed to humane harvesting techniques to ensure the process is quick, effective and as stress-free as possible for the salmon.
