Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout is one of Australia’s most widely farmed freshwater fish, with a delicate, slightly nutty flavour and tender, pink-tinged flesh. It’s closely related to salmon and occupies a similar culinary space, though its flavour is milder and its texture a touch more delicate.

It’s extremely versatile in the kitchen — excellent pan-fried with crispy skin, baked whole, smoked, or poached. The flesh flakes easily and pairs well with simple accompaniments like lemon, capers, almonds, and fresh herbs. Smoked rainbow trout is particularly popular as a ready-to-eat product.

Australian rainbow trout farms are concentrated in cool-water regions, particularly Tasmania and the Victorian highlands. Both farmed and wild-caught trout are available, with farmed fish making up the majority of what’s sold commercially.

Wild & Farmed
photograph to come — from twenty years of markets, farms and kitchens

How it's made

Rainbow trout are raised in freshwater aquaculture facilities, typically in raceways or net pens fed by cold, clean river or spring water. The fish are fed a formulated diet and raised over 12 to 18 months until they reach market size. At harvest, the fish are dispatched, gutted, and sold whole or as fillets — both skin-on and skin-off — either fresh or frozen.

Nutrition (per 100g)

Energy 141kcal
Protein 19.9g
Carbs 0g
Fat 6.2g
Fibre 0g Sugar 0g
Mass Distribution

1 fillet is about 79 g — roughly 110 kcal of this.

What it costs the planet (per kilo)

Carbon ≈5.12kg
Freshwater ≈3515.02L
Land ≈3.72

≈ Estimated — worked out from a category-typical value further up its supply chain. Where this comes from →

Where it comes from

In the kitchen

Used as

pan-fried freshwater fish

Goes well with
Classic dishes
  • Trout Almondine
  • Pan-fried Rainbow Trout
  • Smoked Rainbow Trout

Keeping one at home? Track yours in your cubud →

Where this data comes from

Nutrition data from

USDA

How it was calculated

SR Legacy

Full credits, licences, and methods: the sources page →

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