Caviar - Savor the Luxurious Delicacy If You Can Afford It
Roe or fish eggs, specifically those from the Acipenseridae family or Sturgeon fish, are considered a tasty delicacy that in today's market can cost in excess of £3400 for a single kilo. There are four main caviar choices beginning with the Beluga:
1) Beluga is the costliest and rarest and comes from the Beluga Sturgeon found in the Caspian Sea. The area, bordered by Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan has abundant supplies of wild Beluga and their eggs are "farmed" annually. Caviar catch the large fish and milk the eggs from them, sending them on to be canned for consumption. They produce a pea size large egg and are silvery gray to a black in color and very soft in texture.
2) Sterlet roe are similar to Beluga but are more golden in color and smaller in size.
3) Ossetra are brownish or gray and medium in size. They are more commonly found and so are priced lower.
4) Sevruga is ranked somewhat lower in quality and flavor and is thus priced somewhat lower. They are smaller in size and commonly found so are abundant.
Supplies must be replenished to sustain their numbers
Countries surrounding the Caspian Sea have, at times, placed restrictions on fishermen to allow the fish to replenish their numbers and ensure there will be plenty of them to go around. In the 19th century Sturgeon were found to be in abundant supply in the US. The Hudson and Delaware rivers were producing the delectable treat as well as Oregon's Columbia River and soon not only did the price plummet but caviar was sometimes served instead of peanuts as a bar food (salty fish eggs meant more drinking). In 1900 the largest producer of caviar was the United States with well over 600 tons being produced annually.
Persian for egg caviar comes from a variety of fishes
Commonly found and savored as a delicacy, caviar or fish eggs can be found in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Common and affordable, some breeds of fish can be farmed for their eggs. Salmon produce a golden yellow to pinkish egg that is lovely to look at but has fewer flavors than the Sturgeon. Bans have been placed on fishing commercially for Sturgeon because supplies dwindled. When caviar was in low supply the price would naturally soar which led to the development of more economical methods of obtaining the valuable fish such as aquaculture to "grow your own" or farming of the Sturgeon.
Today caviar production is big business world wide
How can salt cured fish eggs become such a rare and popular delicacy? Over the centuries the popularity of caviar has grown and whether they come from the Acipenseridae family of fish or other more commonly found species such as Salmon, they remain in high demand. Less desirable (and cheaper) are roe that have been pasteurized because the process takes away much of the flavor usually found in "fresh" or non-pasteurized varieties. Spread some on a fine cracker and enjoy the delicacy known as caviar.
1) Beluga is the costliest and rarest and comes from the Beluga Sturgeon found in the Caspian Sea. The area, bordered by Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan has abundant supplies of wild Beluga and their eggs are "farmed" annually. Caviar catch the large fish and milk the eggs from them, sending them on to be canned for consumption. They produce a pea size large egg and are silvery gray to a black in color and very soft in texture.
2) Sterlet roe are similar to Beluga but are more golden in color and smaller in size.
3) Ossetra are brownish or gray and medium in size. They are more commonly found and so are priced lower.
4) Sevruga is ranked somewhat lower in quality and flavor and is thus priced somewhat lower. They are smaller in size and commonly found so are abundant.
Supplies must be replenished to sustain their numbers
Countries surrounding the Caspian Sea have, at times, placed restrictions on fishermen to allow the fish to replenish their numbers and ensure there will be plenty of them to go around. In the 19th century Sturgeon were found to be in abundant supply in the US. The Hudson and Delaware rivers were producing the delectable treat as well as Oregon's Columbia River and soon not only did the price plummet but caviar was sometimes served instead of peanuts as a bar food (salty fish eggs meant more drinking). In 1900 the largest producer of caviar was the United States with well over 600 tons being produced annually.
Persian for egg caviar comes from a variety of fishes
Commonly found and savored as a delicacy, caviar or fish eggs can be found in a wide variety of colors and sizes. Common and affordable, some breeds of fish can be farmed for their eggs. Salmon produce a golden yellow to pinkish egg that is lovely to look at but has fewer flavors than the Sturgeon. Bans have been placed on fishing commercially for Sturgeon because supplies dwindled. When caviar was in low supply the price would naturally soar which led to the development of more economical methods of obtaining the valuable fish such as aquaculture to "grow your own" or farming of the Sturgeon.
Today caviar production is big business world wide
How can salt cured fish eggs become such a rare and popular delicacy? Over the centuries the popularity of caviar has grown and whether they come from the Acipenseridae family of fish or other more commonly found species such as Salmon, they remain in high demand. Less desirable (and cheaper) are roe that have been pasteurized because the process takes away much of the flavor usually found in "fresh" or non-pasteurized varieties. Spread some on a fine cracker and enjoy the delicacy known as caviar.
