When to Buy
Arctic char are just coming on the scene for Wisconsin fish farms. They will be fresh, if you can find them.
Safe to eat four or more meals per month.
Arctic char are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA). In fact, in every 8 ounce serving, you’ll get over 100% of the weekly recommendation. The taste of Arctic char falls somewhere between salmon and trout. It can be substituted for either in most recipes. Its texture is moderately firm but fine.
Researchers at the UW-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility and industry partners have raised Arctic char in biosecure indoor recirculating systems in Wisconsin. Wisconsin farm-raised Arctic char are not raised at a commercial scale at this time. Although wild Arctic char can be harvested in the northern Arctic regions of North America, Europe and northeastern Russia, most Arctic char sold in U.S. grocery stores and restaurants come from fish farms in Iceland and Norway. They are are mostly raised in tanks and raceways onshore, which discharge less pollution and are less likely to let fish and parasites escape than net pens.
Arctic char belongs to the Salmonidae family, and it is related to both salmon and trout. Its closest relatives are bull trout, lake trout and brook trout, all members of the genus Salvelinus.