The Pacific Northwest is known for its towering evergreens, misty coastline, and fertile rivers. At the heart of this region’s story is salmon. These remarkable fish swim thousands of miles in their lifetime, from inland streams to the open ocean and back again, linking ecosystems, economies, and cultures. In this episode of America the Bountiful, Capri Cafaro explores how salmon fishing continues to shape daily life and cultural identity in Washington State.

From tribal riverside traditions to bustling city kitchens, Capri meets the people who are preserving knowledge, sustaining families, and nourishing communities with salmon.

Upper Skagit River: Ceremonial Drift Net Fishing

Capri’s journey begins on the Skagit River with Scott Schuyler, a respected elder and Natural Resources Policy Representative for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. Scott’s family has lived along this river for generations. He is a descendant of Pateaus, a sub-chief who signed the Treaty of Point Elliott in 1855. That treaty secured the fishing rights of tribes in the Puget Sound region, though legal and political battles to uphold those rights have continued ever since.

Scott shares how fishing is more than sustenance. It is a living part of his tribe’s governance, spirituality, and intergenerational responsibility. The Skagit River was once home to one of the largest salmon runs into Puget Sound. Scott still fishes using drift nets, a method long practiced by his ancestors. The technique involves setting a weighted net into the river and drifting with the current while connected to a boat.

In late summer, the tribe harvests sockeye salmon through ceremonial fishing. Scott prepares for large roasts where he cooks over 100 fillets at a time on alderwood fires. He also roasts salmon roe, a seasonal delicacy. These gatherings feed families and connect tribal members through shared meals and collective work.

Scott emphasizes that fishing sustains his community both materially and spiritually. The act of setting nets, cleaning fish, building fires, and sharing food links past to present. These practices teach the next generation about care, responsibility, and the vital role salmon continue to play. His daughter Janelle joins him when she can, learning directly through doing. Their time together on the water and around the fire strengthens family bonds and affirms their place in a larger story.

Seattle: Soba Noodles with Salmon Roe at Kamonegi

Capri next visits Kamonegi, a cozy restaurant in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood known for handmade soba noodles and seasonal Japanese cuisine. Chef-owner Mutsuko Soma welcomes Capri into the kitchen to demonstrate how she prepares cured salmon roe. The roe is paired with buckwheat soba, a simple dish that highlights the flavor and texture of the fish.

Mutsuko learned the art of noodle-making from her grandmother in Tochigi, Japan. She later trained professionally in both Japan and Seattle before opening Kamonegi in 2017. Every day, her team hand-mixes, rolls, and cuts fresh soba from buckwheat flour. The labor is intense, but it brings joy and meaning.

The cured roe Mutsuko uses is sourced with care, reflecting her deep respect for ingredients. Salmon, she explains, is a cornerstone of Pacific Northwest cuisine and resonates deeply with her Japanese culinary roots. In both cultures, salmon is revered, prepared with attention to seasonality, and often shared on special occasions. At Kamonegi, that reverence is on every plate.

Recipe: Handmade Soba Noodles

Inspired by Chef Mutsuko Soma, Kamonegi, Seattle

This recipe uses a traditional Japanese ratio of 80% buckwheat flour to 20% wheat flour, which gives the noodles their nutty flavor and signature texture. They’re best enjoyed fresh, dipped in soy sauce or served cold with simple toppings like cured salmon roe.

Ingredients

• 2 cups buckwheat flour (preferably stone-milled)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup cold water
• Starch for rolling (buckwheat or tapioca)

Instructions

1. Mix the buckwheat and wheat flours in a large bowl.

2. Add the water gradually, mixing with your hands until a crumbly dough forms.

3. Knead the dough on a counter until smooth and firm, about 10 minutes.

4. Shape into a flat disk and lightly dust with starch.

5. Roll out into a thin rectangle, about 1/16 inch thick.

6. Fold the dough in layers with starch between to prevent sticking.

7. Cut into thin noodles using a sharp knife.

8. To cook: Boil in salted water for 1 minute, then rinse in cold water and dunk in ice water.

9. Serve cold or at room temperature with dipping sauce or light toppings.

   Tip: The noodles can be frozen raw and cooked later. Use within 3 months.

Pike Place Market: Salmon Collar Sinigang with Leila Rosas

Capri concludes her visit at Seattle’s iconic Pike Place Market. Inside Oriental Mart, a beloved Filipino lunch counter, she meets Leila Rosas. Leila and her family have run the business since the 1980s. She prepares a comforting version of salmon sinigang, a traditional Filipino sour soup made with tamarind, vegetables, and salmon collars.

Leila sources her fish directly from neighboring stalls in the market, calling across the aisle to order whatever is freshest. The salmon collars she uses come from the fishmongers she’s worked beside for decades. This connection to place and people is as essential to her food as the recipe itself.

The soup takes hours to make. Leila slowly simmers tomatoes, leeks, and whole jalapeños before adding the fish. She says sinigang tastes best when it’s made with care and eaten with family. Capri shares a bowl and reflects on how this dish captures both the comfort of home and the rhythm of the market around them.

Recipe: Pork Sinigang (Filipino Sour Soup)

A comforting and tangy classic from the Philippines, sinigang is a savory soup built on layers of sourness, tender pork, and fresh vegetables. This version uses tamarind as the souring agent and pork belly for richness.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork belly, cut into chunks
• 1 lb young (unripe) tamarind or 1 packet sinigang mix
• 2 quarts water
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 daikon radish, sliced (optional)
• 2 eggplants, sliced diagonally
• 8 okra pods, whole
• 8 pieces string beans (sitaw), cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 long green chili peppers (siling pansigang)
• 1 bunch water spinach (kangkong), chopped
• Fish sauce, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Boil tamarind in water for 40 minutes. Strain and squeeze the pulp to extract flavor. If using mix, dissolve in hot water and skip this step.
2. In a large pot, bring tamarind broth to a boil. Add onion, half of the tomatoes, and pork belly. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Add a splash of fish sauce. Cover and simmer until the pork is fork-tender, about 1 hour.
3. Add radish and eggplant. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add remaining tomatoes, long green peppers, string beans, and okra. Simmer for another 3 minutes.
5. Add water spinach stalks, season with more fish sauce and black pepper, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the leaves, turn off heat, and cover the pot. Let residual heat wilt the greens (about 3 minutes).
6. Serve hot with steamed rice and a side of fish sauce mixed with crushed Thai chili. For a traditional pairing, add dried salted fish (tuyo) on the side.

A River That Runs Through Culture

In each kitchen, net, and bowl, salmon represents more than a species, holding together families, livelihoods, and shared values. In Washington, salmon is part of daily life. People rely on it, advocate for it, and cook with it in ways that reflect both tradition and innovation.

Fishing practices are not frozen in time. They evolve while staying rooted in cultural memory and local ecology. The people we meet in this episode are working to ensure it remains vital to the future of their communities.

In Washington, salmon continues to swim through stories, nourish relationships, and shape the land and its people.