Kinda funny about how folks view the "best" salmon. When I moved up here over 50 years ago, salmon was salmon for eating purposes. Since then, I have run into folks who maintain that each species, even specific stocks, are best. Those who liked pinks, though, insisted in fresh, and the fresher the better so maybe a stream side BBQ is tops.

While I can tell the difference between species (now) I think a lot of it is mental/cultural, as a few stories show.

Doc Donaldson, the huge trout fame, took some of those fish and fed them the exact same diet except for added food coloring. In a taste test, North Americans preferred the deeper red fish while Northern Europeans preferred the white.

Some friends once served up a "White King" that they were extolling its flavor. When I saw the rest of the fish I noticed some pale vertical bars on the silver sides; chum.

Lastly, I saw a tv show where, I think it was Irish, folks were extolling Atlantic Salmon over Pacific and they preferred the farmed Atlantics to wild Pacifics.

This has led me to believe that there is no "absolute" best but a personal preference that includes flavor, texture, color, and maybe even where, when, and how you caught it. Which, for me now, puts a Kenai sockeye (the fresher the better) at the top of the table. But I also don't think that I have ever had a bad fish, except for one coho jack that was just dry and tasteless.