Caviar

Caviar

Caviar is the processed, salted roe of certain species of fish, most notably the sturgeon. It is commercially marketed worldwide as a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread; for example, with hors d'œuvres. It is synonymous with luxury—historically the favorite of the elite, and today highly priced due to the short supply of sturgeon.

Preparation

Caviar is the roe or eggs taken from freshly caught fish, sturgeon for true caviar, and passed through a fine mesh in order to remove fatty tissue and membrane. The eggs are lightly salted to bring out the flavor and also to preserve the eggs. The highest quality caviar are from beluga, ossetra, and sevruga sturgeon.

Caviar may also be made from other fish, such as salmon, lumpfish, and whitefish. The salmon roe are red, while the roe of lumpfish may be died black to resemble sturgeon eggs.

The Russian word malossol ("little salt") is used to show that the caviar is minimally salted; typically, caviar is four to eight percent salt. Less salt means the roe was of higher quality, and thus more expensive. However, it is also more perishable.

History

Sturgeon

The word caviar is ultimately derived from Persian khavyar, from khaya meaning "egg." The word first appeared in English print in 1591.

The roe, or eggs, of sturgeon, which have the appearance of shining black pearls, are served as caviar. One of the oldest families of bony fish in existence, sturgeon are native to rivers, lakes, and coastlines of Eurasia and North America, in particular the Caspian Sea which borders two major caviar-producing countries Russia and Iran. They are distinctive for their elongated bodies, lack of scales, and occasional great size: Sturgeons ranging from 7–12 feet (2-3½ m) in length are common, and some species grow up to 18 feet (5.5 m). Most sturgeons are anadromous, spawning upstream in freshwater and feeding in saltwater river deltas and estuaries. Because they are slow-growing and mature very late in life, they are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and to other threats, including pollution and habitat fragmentation.

A record of caviar, eggs of the sturgeon brought into banquets, dates back to Aristotle in the fourth century B.C.E. The preparation of caviar by salting the roe of the sturgeon is attributed to the Persias. However, it was the Russian tsars who brought caviar into the world of luxury.

Caviar was known in Russia in the twelfth century, with the fishermen of the Volga River recognizing the krasnaya ryba ("beautiful fish") as the most valuable. In the sixteenth century it was delivered to the European royal court as well as the Russian imperial table.

In the nineteenth century, Russian caviar was a luxury item throughout the international market. Iran, on the southern shores of the Caspian, began its own caviar industry also producing the delicacy at the highest standard. An entrepreneurial American immigrant, Henry Schacht, founded the American caviar business in 1873, using Delaware Rivers sturgeon. The United States became the largest caviar producer outside Russia, with much of it exported to Europe. Caviar became so popular in the U.S. at that time that it was served free in saloons, its salty taste encouraging customers to drink more, and more refined establishments offered caviar as an interesting starter to elegant meals. By 1910, the sturgeon was nearly extinct in American waters due to over-fishing, and American production was halted; caviar once again becoming a luxury item.

Throughout the twentieth century the Caspian Sea was once again the major supplier of sturgeon roe for caviar. However, the Caspian also suffered pollution, poaching, and over-fishing, all reducing sturgeon populations. An additional problem has been the falling water level in the Caspian, which led to the loss of sturgeon habitats. Although water levels have risen again, the sturgeon population is not expected to recover to its previous level.

In 1998 the sturgeon came under the protection of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), the convention for trade in endangered species. Regulation of international trade in sturgeons was initiated as "an important step to ensure long-term conservation and better management of the species - and essential to preserve the resource for future generations." However, poaching and black market caviar continued to flourish along the Caspian. In January 2007, this ban was partly lifted, allowing the sale of 96 tons of caviar, 15 percent below the official 2005 level.

These limits and reductions in the wild fish harvesting led to significant increases in caviar prices, leading to efforts to find alternatives to Caspian sturgeon. [Aquaculture]] of sturgeon has been found to be an economically viable means of sustainable, commercial caviar production, especially in Spain, France, Uruguay, and California. In Spain a fish farm called Caviar de Riofrio has begun to produce organic caviar. The company raises sturgeon in such a way that it has earned organic certification by CITES.

"Hackleback" caviar from the Shovelnose sturgeon, the smallest species of freshwater sturgeon native to the United States, is a popular, inexpensive product of this industry. American Paddlefish, a sturgeon cousin, one of the largest freshwater fish in North America, is also farmed as an alternative source of roe for caviar.

Use

Tartare huitre caviar du grand chef cuisinier Hélène Darroze de Paris

Russian blinis served with sour cream, onion, caviar, pickled cucumbers, sweet champagne and vodka

Caviar is traditionally served unadorned, eaten with a non-metal spoon. Caviar spoons are traditionally made from mother of pearl, although bone and Tortoiseshell material are also used. It is considered impolite to eat more than one or two spoonfuls of caviar, even when ample quantities are available. Caviar may be tasted by placing a little on the back of the hand.

Caviar is often served as an hors d'oeuvre,

Cultural significance

Given its high price in the West, caviar is synonymous with luxury and wealth. In Russia and other Eastern European cultures, though still expensive, caviar is commonly served at holiday feasts, weddings, and other festive occasions. In Hong Kong and Japan, caviar may be found on sushi and is often very affordable.

Varieties

Seven different types of caviar

Salmon caviar on bread

The Caspian Sea is considered the source of the finest caviar in the world. Contemporary black caviar is roe from sturgeon fished from the Caspian Sea by Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia, and Kazakhstan.

The harvest and sale of black caviar was banned in Russia since August 1, 2007. The ban extends for ten years, but scientific research and the artificial breeding of black caviar fish are exempted. The golden Sterlet caviar, the rarest of caviars, was the favorite of tsars, shahs, and emperors.

Due to cost and problems with the dwindling supply of sturgeon, alternative forms of "caviar" are commonly prepared from salmon, producing red caviar, lumpfish, and whitefish. Today, the highest prices are paid for the Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga sturgeon varieties of caviar.

Beluga

Beluga caviar (branded as Almas caviar in Iran meaning 'Diamond caviar') consists of the roe (or eggs) of the Beluga sturgeon found primarily in the Caspian Sea. It can also be found in the Black Sea basin and occasionally in the Adriatic Sea. This fish is currently considered to be endangered, causing the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to ban the importation of Beluga caviar which originated in the Black Sea basin. Beluga is also the most expensive of caviars. In January 2007, this ban was partly lifted, allowing the sale of 96 tons of caviar, 15 per cent below the official 2005 level.

The Beluga sturgeon can take up to 20 years to reach maturity. The fish harvested for caviar are often nearly 2000 pounds. The eggs themselves are the largest of the commonly used roes, and range in colour from light blue to black, with the lighter colours coming from older fish, and being the highest valued. Any additions by producers diminish the value of the roe, and the caviar usually reaches the market without any additions or processing whatsoever. Most people also find a good bit of acidity and/or sweetness in the flavour as well.

As with most caviars, Beluga is usually handled with a spoon made of mother of pearl, bone, or other non-metallic material, as metal utensils tend to impart an unwelcome metallic taste to the delicate and expensive roe. But Beluga caviar, unlike less expensive varieties is usually served by itself on toast whereas other caviars can be served in a variety of ways, including hollowed and cooked new potatoes, on a blini, or garnished with sour cream, crème fraîche, minced onion or minced hard boiled egg whites. The higher grade caviars, including Beluga, usually need very little embellishment.

Beluga caviar ranges in price from more than $5,000 per kilogram in the United States, to a low of around $250 per kilo in Atyrau, Kazakhstan, the major production center.

Ossetra

Ossetra caviar, with salmon creme fraiche and potato shallot croquette

Ossetra (Osetra or Asetra) caviar comes from the Ossetra sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), weighing 50-400 pounds and living up to 50 years. Ossetra caviar ranges from warm brown to green-gray in color, to dark blue to jet black or even white. Ossetra caviar is said to have a nutty flavour and so is prized as an elite caviar.

The Ossetra sturgeon is slightly smaller than the Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso). As caviar, it is of firmer texture than the more delicate Beluga caviar. Golden Ossetra is a rare form of Ossetra caviar, and is golden-yellow in color. It has a very rich flavor.

As with other caviars, ossetra is traditionally served on buttered toast points with fresh, minced onion. It also is served on blinis, and sometimes cream cheese or sour cream accompanies the caviar on crackers. The lower-graded varieties of caviar are used as stuffings in many seafood dishes and for some meat dishes. Caviar can and is often found in salads as well.

Sevruga

Sevruga is one of the highest priced varieties of caviar, eclipsed in cost only by the Beluga and Ossetra varieties. It is harvested from the Sevruga sturgeon native to the Caspian Sea, and may be distinguished from its more expensive cousins by the size of the eggs, which are generally smaller.

Alternatives and imitation

Typical Swedish sandwich with hard-boiled eggs and cod roe caviar from a tube

The dwindling fishing yields consequent to overfishing and pollution have resulted in the creation of less costly, though popular, caviar-quality roe alternatives from the whitefish and the North Atlantic salmon.

In Scandinavia, a significantly cheaper version of caviar, made from mashed and smoked cod roe, is sold in tubes as a sandwich filling. When sold outside Scandinavia, the product is referred to as creamed smoked roe.

An obvious sturgeon caviar imitation is Danish black coloured lumpsucker caviar, which is sold throughout Europe in small glass jars. It can also be found red coloured. A more expensive sturgeon caviar alternative, sold in Sweden and Finland, is the caviar from the vendace. In Finland caviars from the burbot and the common whitefish are also sold.

In the vegetarian foodstuffs market, Algae-based imitation caviar is produced and sold as a caviar alternative.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Boeckmann, Susie, and Natalie Rebeiz-Nielsen. Caviar: The Definitive Guide. Wiley, 2000. ISBN 978-0470392997
• Carey, Richard Adams. The Philosopher Fish: Sturgeon, Caviar, and the Geography of Desire. Counterpoint, 2006. ISBN 978-1582433523
• Goldstein, Darra. Caviar Dreams Saveur 24. Retrieved September 12, 2008.
• Inman, Mason. Once Endangered Sturgeon Rebounding in Hudson River, Study Says National Geographic News, February 7, 2007. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
• Javadi, Masoud, and Nasser Sagheb Caspian caviar in peril Azerbaijan International 2.3 (Autumn 1994): 50-52. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
• Le Goff, Olivier. The World of Caviar. Chartwell Books, 1999. ISBN 978-0785810841
• Morris, Jim. Dinosaur in the Delta: Farmers tame prehistoric fish to make food fit for a king California Farm Bureau Federation, August 3, 2005. Retrieved July 3, 2008.
• Saffron, Inga. Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Delicacy. New York, NY: Broadway Books, 2003. ISBN 978-0767906241
• Swengel, Andrea Lynn. Discovering Caviar . Campbell & Lewis Publishers, 2008. ISBN 978-0977148974

External links

• Caviar Cooking For Engineers
• American Caviar - Think American Caviar!
• History Russian Caviar, 2000. Retrieved September 2, 2008.
• Sturgeons and CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

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