From Paris to Jerusalem, smoked salmon remains a defining symbol of luxury

This coming Thursday, like every October 8, National Salmon Day celebrates one of the world's most popular and versatile fish.The United States created the occasion 11 years ago during National Seafood Month to highlight salmon's flavor, versatility, and nutritional value. Although it is not an official national holiday, seafood producers, restaurants, chefs, and food lovers embrace it, often through special dishes, recipes, and promotions.This celebration sparks an unofficial, imaginary index I have been advising travelers to use for years to judge this extraordinarily tasty fish.Many accepted ways measure a hotel's true positioning. Star ratings help. Room size matters. Customer ratings are king. Thread count still gets mentioned. Yet somewhere between the chafing dish and the espresso machine lies a far subtler indicator, one that reveals more about a hotel's confidence, strategy, and self-image than any plaque on the wall.It is the presence, or absence, of smoked salmon at breakfast.