Russians and Germans develop taste for trout

This spring, a group of Russian gourmet cooks visited Stavanger to learn about the fish, after winning a competition to prepare fjord trout at the Moscow Gastronomic Festival. Andrey Zhdanov from the Moscow restaurant The Sad was pleased with the outcomes of the trip.

“Fjord trout is a good fish that is easy to use. A while ago we had fjord trout tartare in our restaurant. It was very popular among guests. Fjord trout is the first fish that we have started using fresh without marinating. This is possible because it is of such good quality,” Zhdanov said.

Sjerzod Samatov of the Moscow restaurant Soho Rooms thought it was important for him to know the history of the raw materials he uses.

“It is very important for me to see how the product is made. I am impressed by the Norwegian production technology. It's not just cages, but a natural habitat for fish. My guests are very fond of fjord trout from Norway,” he said.

Norwegian Seafood Council research from Germany shows that awareness of fjord trout has increased there too. In 2014, 67 per cent of those surveyed said they knew of the product, which is four per cent more than the year before and a jump from 2012, when the response rate was 35 per cent.

“The work started in 2011 and we then invited the Norwegian Seafood chains that supply fish for HoReCa segment to Norway. A few months later we launched fjord trout in chains Frisch Paradis and Metro. In 2012 we started the task of getting the attention of chefs and developed the concept of the ‘Hot or Not’, which has a twofold significance. The first is that fjord trout is ideal for both hot and cold dishes. The second is the name of the chef competition, which we named Mr or Mrs Hot in importance of young hot chefs,” says fisheries envoy to Germany, Kristin Pettersen.

Fjord trout has received numerous ambassadors in the country, including Germany's youngest star chef, Kevin Fehling from La Belle Epoque, which was awarded two Michelin stars in 2011 and a third in 2012. In addition, the fish gained access to a variety of other top class restaurants.