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Comment by klyrs | Hacker News Reader

The salmon-cutting diagram makes me unreasonably angry. I guess we've learned a lot since then...

I have a hard time believing the “gosh we were so dumb back in the past” take on things. Especially when it comes to effective use of food, which was considerably more valuable back then.

I imagine there was a lot about the times that we aren’t privy to when we make our judgements. We’re not playing with a full deck of cards, if you will… ;)

Dissemination of information really is that much better now.

It's like, did you ever play a competitive video game with your friends as a kid? Smash bros or starcraft or whatever? And then when you grow up you find out that even the best of you is completely horrible compared to even a low ranked real competitor. It's almost like a totally different game.

Back then so many more things were like that.

So do I... usually. But seriously, look at that wavy line: what are we doing there? And those belly cuts? Did you gut this fish already (if not, ew), or are you serving salmon-steak-ends?

Oh yeah no, I’m with you. It’s perplexing. But I’ve got to trust there’s an explanation.

Btw, the text that went with the cards is here: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A42620.0001.001/1:5.2?rgn...

Why they went for a scallop cut, I have no idea, but from my text it seems like they were aiming to break the salmon cuts down into grades.

And actually, I guess we should remember that these are 'table carvings'. The fish has already been cooked more or less whole, and the cards are telling you how to carve and serve at the table. So at that point I guess, the scallop cuts are just.. pure show.

Care to explain more, for those of us who don't carve fish?

To be fair, I am being somewhat (perhaps overly) dramatic. Salmon is just one of those foods I have opinions about. Of the three cuts presented in the more modern diagram [1], I think that pan dressed is superior to filet, and steaks are an atrocity.

[1] https://vectorstock.com/6186158 (Edit: link fixed)

I have opinions about the over-use of italics.

The site doesn't do underline, and I'm too lazy to make that happen in unicode.

Even worse. If you think people need little helpers like underlines or italics to understand what you’re trying to say, maybe say it differently.

diagram not found

I think it is this one https://www.vectorstock.com/royalty-free-vector/salmon-cuts-...

It appears to be a diagram to slice the fish up into a number of weird little steaks/cutlets vs the more traditional 'two half-fish filets'

I imagine that deboning that thing after is a right pain.

What do you mean "deboning", do you not pick the bones out as you eat the whoooole fish?

I like to roast, then filet. If you do it right, even the pinbones come out and you're left with a whole skeleton. The immense satisfaction of getting it out in one piece is why I'm so (self-mockingly) aggrieved.

My completely unsubstantiated guess: knives were less sharp and unable to do the cuts we use today. They wavy bits especially is how I would go about it if I had a dull blade

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