Quick and easy
like Tuna though not as dry
straight out of the flat round tin
a Friday night tradition
started by Mom and Dad
dating back to the good ol’ 1960s
interchangeable with KFC
or Dixie Lee after moving to Arnprior
there was no KFC there then

Mom’s home-made French fries
slowly giving way to the frozen variety
in Ottawa in the early '70s
McCain’s first and only in those days

Sure a little trouble
separating the bones
she preferred Sockeye
mixed with mayonnaise
occasional green onions
to add sweetness and tang

Once married
I carried on the tradition
for wife and son
though with a little experimentation
discovered Pink Salmon
had a natural sweetness all its own
without need for other ingredients

Still picking out the bones
but the skin I always left in
loved it!
whether chicken or fish
though some warned
more pollutants in that darker outside layer
but I didn’t care
having yet to grow a third ear

Recently
I picked up a tin of the trusty Pink
though the label had changed
in-between grocery orders
deboned...deskinned?!
once opened and given the taste test
Yuck!
not bad but not good either
tasted funny
something was missing
bones I didn’t mind
but don’t take away my Salmon skin!!!

Having come to the conclusion
some food...too much in fact these days
over processed

After buying a second tin
just to make sure
sadly...same result
haven’t bought another since
now I buy my Salmon in fillet form only
deboned but not deskinned

Here’s to lost traditions


© 2021

350 hits as of December 2023

03/06/2021

Author's Note: Update: July 2022. My grocery store has since restored the traditional tins of salmon, with skin and bones included, in addition to the deboned/deskinned variety, so draw your own conclusions.

Posted on 03/06/2021
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti