What is Caviar?

Since ancient times , caviar has been widely known as one of the world's three great delicacies, alongside truffles and foie gras.

Definition of Caviar

According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization regulations, only roe products obtained from sturgeon can be called caviar, and other similar foods are classified as "caviar substitutes."

In Europe and the United States, caviar is traditionally made from mature eggs of species such as Sturgeon stercoralis, Russian sturgeon, Beluga sturgeon, Sevruga sturgeon, and Siberian sturgeon.

On the other hand, caviar native to the Heilongjiang River basin is made from mature eggs of Kaluga sturgeon and Amur sturgeon. Sturgeon have a long growth cycle, taking at least seven or eight years before they can spawn.

About the Caviar Industry

Before the 19th century, the Caspian Sea basin between Iran and Russia was a traditional caviar producing area. In the mid-19th century, the Germans introduced the technology to manufacture caviar to the Americas and used tin cans, a new invention at the time, to package the caviar, which made American caviar popular around the world. During that period, most of the products called "Russian caviar" around the world were produced in the Americas.

But within fifty years, the number of sturgeon available for catch in North America had plummeted, bringing to an end the glory days of American caviar.

In the Caspian Sea basin, the Soviet regime inherited strict fishing restrictions from the Imperial Russian era, with the aim of sustainability and price protection, and at the same time, Iran on the southern coast also imposed relatively reasonable restrictions on fishing.

Until the 1990s, the former Soviet Union and Iran played the major roles of producers on the world market.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Armenia emerged as new nations along the shores of the Caspian and Black Seas. The original fishing regulations were increasingly ignored, and predatory fishing practices became the norm.

Due to overfishing, sturgeon stocks in the Caspian Sea basin rapidly declined, and eventually the CITES banned fishing of all species of sturgeon.

Even as the natural and cultural environments change, humankind's love and admiration for the luxurious delicacy of caviar continues. Since the 1990s, many countries around the world have begun artificial breeding of sturgeons for caviar production. Objectively, the rise of the caviar industry has saved many sturgeon species from extinction.

Currently, caviar is produced through artificial farming in China, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium, France, the UK, the US, Russia, Uruguay, Poland, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Bulgaria and other countries, with China being the world's largest caviar shipper, shipping over 200 tons every year. ( https://www.tridge.com/intelligences/caviar/CN )

Japan is the fourth largest caviar consumer in the world, and Japan Caviar Co., Ltd. has relatively mature caviar manufacturing technology, with annual production of around one ton in recent years. Using a technique called the aging freezing method, the caviar is aged at low temperatures and then quickly frozen, allowing it to be preserved for long periods of time.

How to buy caviar

Buying caviar can be an exciting proposition, even for Westerners. Its high price and the wide range of varieties and names can easily scare off consumers.

In order to ensure objectivity, based on a conversation between Alexander, Vice President of Petrossian ( https://petrossian.com/ ), a leading global brand, and gourmet reporter J. Kenji Lopez - Alt, we have compiled some purchasing tips to ensure consumers get the best value for their money .

Even the cheapest caviar is still expensive. However, the more expensive it is, the less delicious it is, as the main factor that determines the price of caviar is its rarity. Rare varieties of caviar may not be to everyone's taste.

Caviar is typically ranked based on the size and texture of the eggs, the complexity of flavor, and the duration of its aromatic aftertaste , so more than the species of sturgeon, the age of the fish, the environment in which it was reared, the method of egg collection, processing method, and the length of time it was aged will greatly affect the final taste of the caviar.

In blind tastings conducted in-house at Petrossian, cheaper caviars often receive high marks.

Like many expensive foods, the price is directly proportional to the complexity of the flavor, and appreciating its subtleties is a learning process. If you go straight for the most expensive caviar, you risk missing out on its subtle flavors and aromas and wasting your money.

Your best bet is to start with a relatively inexpensive but high-quality caviar , then taste it, evaluate it carefully, and discover why you like it. Do you prefer a buttery, nutty flavor? Or something that's decidedly fishy and salty? Once you can answer these questions, you'll be well prepared to have a smooth conversation with a salesperson to find the caviar that's right for you.

Regardless of whether you care about the price of caviar or not, when you taste it, the amount is too small, even if you put dozens of pieces of caviar on your tongue, it is impossible to taste the caviar. The appropriate amount is 3 to 5 grams per bite, just enough to wrap your tongue around it and feel the texture and taste.

The absolute minimum purchase is a tin containing 30 grams (about 1 ounce) of caviar for two people . The cute tin of 10 grams of caviar may look appealing given its relatively low price, but it's basically pointless unless you're just going to get a taste.

Besides identifying the country of origin and manufacturer, it is also necessary to ascertain what species of sturgeon the caviar was made from. The vague term "black caviar" could be from Siberian sturgeon, or it could be from other roe. It has also been made from dyed shrimp or lumpfish roe.

Therefore, the beautiful appearance of the caviar five minutes after opening the can is a direct reflection of the quality of the caviar.

How to enjoy caviar

A good caviar should have a firm texture and a good springiness when you put it in your mouth and roll it between your tongue and the roof of your mouth. It is traditionally paired with champagne or frozen vodka.

Why eat caviar?

Jean-Anthelme Brillat -Savarin said, "Gastronomy is a form of rational knowledge of human eating habits. Its aim is to prove our worth as human beings through better food."

Caviar remains a luxury food even today. Coco Chanel once said about luxury , "Luxury is the antithesis of vulgarity. Vulgarity is the ugliest word. I design to combat vulgarity."

Articles introducing caviar often quote Peter Mayer's chapter "A Bite of the Black Pearl" from his book "In Search of Luxury," which says, "Caviar is a treat for good days and bad days. It can be the reward of victory or the consolation of failure. It tastes good on the day you make your first million dollars and even better on the eve of bankruptcy as a stubborn declaration of defiance. It tastes as good when love is just beginning to blossom as it does when love has faded. If you can't think of an excuse to eat caviar, you can simply eat it for your health. They say it's good for you."

 

References :

Inga Safran: "Caviar: The Strange History and Uncertain Future of the World's Most Coveted Delicacy"

Nicola Fletcher : The History of Caviar "

"A Bite of the Black Pearl" from "A Pursuit of Luxury" by Peter Mayle