The pink can with the salmon on the label — the foundation of Saturday-morning salmon croquettes in Black households for a century. A dollar of complete protein, omega-3s, and edible soft bones full of calcium.
The salmon croquette is one of the most universal dishes in Black American kitchens — North, South, urban, rural. It crossed the Great Migration in the suitcase of memory. For families where fresh fish was a luxury, the pink can was protein you could keep in the cabinet and turn into Sunday breakfast or a weeknight supper.
Canned pink salmon is one of the most nutritionally complete dollar-foods in the American grocery store. The soft, edible bones are pure bioavailable calcium and phosphorus — a single can delivers nearly half a day's calcium for people who don't drink milk. EPA and DHA omega-3s lower triglycerides, reduce systemic inflammation, and support the brain. Wild Pacific salmon is also one of the few reliable dietary sources of vitamin D, the nutrient most deficient in Black Americans due to melanin-slowed synthesis.
Drain, mash the salmon with the bones (do not discard the bones — crush them in, they soften completely). Mix with one egg, finely diced onion, black pepper, a little hot sauce, and just enough cornmeal or cracker meal to bind. Form into patties and pan-fry in a thin layer of oil until golden on both sides. For a lower-fat version, bake at 400°F until set.
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